The alley was damp and musty, with strange smells that warned people to stay away. Erwin stood with his back to the wall, desperately trying to find a way out. The wolf pup had boxed him in, growling a warning that was equal parts terrifying, and unnatural. Erwin's form was hidden in a hooded cloak, but it couldn't conceal the nervous fear clearly etched in his eyes.

Jenny barely controlled herself from lashing out and ending Erwin's life immediately. Her mentors had drilled the need to deal with situations tactically, even when it seems like she had the upper hand. Erwin was alone and cornered in a remote alley. By all accounts, it appeared to be an easy win. But she looked around carefully. And she was glad she did.

There was a hidden trap not far from where she was. Her wolf pup had missed the trigger, but if Jenny had charged in blindly, she would have been in for a nasty surprise.

"So, you've found a new master, wench?" Erwin taunted from the dead end.

Jenny ignored the desperate attempt at misdirection. Instead, she cast Identify to better gauge her opponent. But the outcome worried her.

Human | Mage | Level 15

The readings were completely off. There was no way he was a mage, or that low level. While it was a possibility he might have done it to start fresh, Jenny knew the man. He wouldn't choose a caster Class if his life depended on it. His pride wouldn't allow it. Something he had made clear when he forced Jenny to pick her Classes.

This meant he was using some identity concealing artifact. And given his propensity for deception, Jenny wasn't surprised.

"Hiding your worthless face isn't going to change the outcome," she shot back. "Neither will the obvious use of cheap tricks to conceal your Class and level. I know you are not a mage."

"Heh," Erwin jeered. "Look at you playing adventurer. Did your new master teach you things? Was it a reward for serving him the way I trained you?"

Jenny's eyes snapped towards him. She clenched her fists, a faint mist emanating from her palms. Three more pups rose from the shadows, joining the one who had cornered the vermin. Their growls made the smug grin drop from his face. Every fiber of her being was screaming at her to just end his worthless life. Yet, she held back.

In its place, she unleashed her Aura at full force. It dampened her fury, allowing her to think clearly. The stunned horror on Erwin's face was just an added bonus.

Jenny walked closer at a slow pace, her eyes glowing a faint blue. Her tormenter was rooted in place, all schemes and bravado rendered moot as Jenny's Aura billowed an icy wind. The hidden trap did absolutely nothing as she stepped over it on purpose, shattering the contraption using her passive presence.

Coming to his senses, Erwin drew a dagger in a panic. But Jenny didn't even flinch as he thrust forward towards her throat. The blade struck true but was met with a thin layer of ice that didn't allow the weapon to pierce her skin. Instead, it was Erwin's weapon that started to freeze over.

"Aaaaargh," Erwin shrieked as the chill climbed up the handle and touched his skin.

He immediately let go of the weapon, which to his horror fell to the ground and shattered like glass.

"What…what are you?" he stuttered, desperately trying to get away from her.

Jenny didn't respond though, her emotionally frozen state didn't allow her to think about anything except what was relevant to the fight. Multiple scenarios played in her head, none of which allowed her target to escape.

"You…want me to kill you," Jenny said in a detached tone. "You know I am stronger and that the trap would do nothing but annoy me at most. And yet you continue to taunt and goad me. There is only one possible way for you to escape in this scenario."

Jenny's tone was almost robotic, as she tore apart Erwin's scheme. Her heightened tactical state had analyzed multiple scenarios, finally settling on the most probable outcome.

"You got yourself a resurrection token," Jenny stated coolly.

Her guess must have been on the mark, since Erwin's eyes widened in surprise. In a last-ditch effort, the weasel drew another hidden blade and aimed at his own neck. Unlucky for him, Jenny was far too close, and much faster.

Within the blink of an eye, she was upon him, grabbing his hand with ease. Her cold touch froze Erwin's hand in an instant. And like the former weapon, his hand too met the same fate. The frostbitten limb simply shattered from the elbow down. To prevent any further attempts, Jenny repeated the same on his other limb.

"AAAAAAAAARGH," Erwin's pained cry echoed in the narrow alley, as both his hands fell to the ground; shattered into countless pieces.

Erwin began to sob and curse hysterically, something Jenny's muted mind didn't even register. She gave the alley another thorough once over for any more hidden traps. Only when she found nothing did she suppress her Aura.

Her emotions resurfaced, allowing her to take in the wails of her broken tormentor. Even so, she didn't feel any remorse or guilt for what she had done. And strangely, she didn't even feel any relief or catharsis at having bested him. She just felt…indifferent.

Unsure of what it meant for her personality, she decided to ignore the thought for now. She sent out a telepathic message to Bane, who appeared before her within seconds.

"Caught another rat," she said calmly. "This one is a bit trickier though. Might wanna save him for some questioning."

Bane nodded before barking once. Another shadow dragged the still screaming man away, leaving Jenny, the pups, and Bane in the deserted alley. Contrary to her expectations, Bane didn't leave immediately. He instead commanded his children to leave, before turning to face Jenny.

"I sense the conflict in your heart," he said slowly. "What's troubling you?"

Jenny flinched at the line of questioning. She wasn't sure how to put what she was feeling into words. But she tried anyway.

"Well," she began uneasily. "I have dreamed of this day for so long. Being able to tear down the man who hurt me the most. And now that it has happened…I feel nothing. No relief, no guilt, no deep introspection. Nothing. I am afraid…"

Jenny swallowed her next words, too scared to reveal them for fear of acknowledging it. But Bane didn't speak, sitting down on his haunches instead. As always, he waited patiently for her to finish her thoughts.

"I am afraid I may be turning into an unfeeling monster like him," Jenny finally said. "I mean, I have not killed another human before. But the thought of killing Erwin didn't faze me in the slightest. The only reason he is alive is because my Awakened state demanded I capture him alive. You know, from a tactical standpoint."

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Bane didn't immediately respond, letting her digest her own words. But when he spoke, it hit Jenny harder than she thought.

"Would you kill an innocent child, say Talia, for power?"

"What? Of course not," Jenny was aghast at the insinuation.

"What about a harmless rabbit?" Bane continued, his voice neutral. "Not for sustenance or levels. But just for sport."

"No," Jenny said with disgust. She was about to categorically deny such heinous thoughts when it finally clicked—the point that Bane was trying to make.

"I am a predator by nature," Bane continued. "Killing to me doesn't hold the same weight as it does for enlightened races such as you. So, my word may not apply to your norms. But when faced with such thoughts, I'd suggest you ask yourself these two questions: Who did you kill, and importantly, why."

Jenny fell into deep introspection after listening to the advice. "Who…and…why," she whispered.

Bane let her process her thoughts as he started to walk away. But right before disappearing, he had one last piece of wisdom.

"As for not feeling any catharsis from taking down your nemesis," Bane said while looking right into her eyes. "The answer is simple: he is not your nemesis. The naïve girl he tormented is no more. You buried her the day you decided to follow our Alpha."

Jenny felt a shiver run down her spine as realization struck her like lightning. Bane's parting words bore into her being as he faded into the shadows.

"Predators don't feel anything towards their prey."

* * *

Aenon

The familiar aroma of paper and ink filled the room. But Aenon brought with him the distinct smell of blood and death. The previously quaint office was now the central stage for much of Aenon's political upheaval. The oppressive atmosphere wasn't for the faint of heart for sure. As Aenon sat at this desk, analyzing reports that Henry had put together, his blood boiled with fury.

The nobles had done quite a number on the local economy. Even with zero knowledge in the matter, Aenon could see the upcoming challenge of feeding the entire city when the upper echelons just left the town with zero notice. One didn't need a degree in economics to see what happened when the consumption rate outpaced food production.

"As you can see sire," Henry continued his summary. "We will be running out of our food reserves in a week if we are sieged in the next two days."

"I thought you were preparing for this?" Aenon asked with annoyance.

"Uh, yes," Henry said with hesitation. "But we didn't expect the nobles to sabotage our food supply before leaving the city."

Aenon wanted to reprimand the man for letting something so basic slip under his nose, but held himself back. The fault wasn't entirely his. Even Aenon had not anticipated the kind of support the Alliance had garnered. Apparently, a big chunk of the commoner population too had been enticed by the schemes of his enemies. And the groundwork for the attack had been started long before they thought. The Alliance—or the one controlling it—had started their preparation from day one of the tutorial.

How they managed to set up communications without anyone knowing or catching on was a mystery. But given the existence of monster horde controlling artifacts, it wasn't that surprising.

Aenon hated this. He had honed his stalking abilities, and hunting tactics with care. But so far he only had to use it for himself. Turns out dealing with such things on a much larger scale was a different ball game. In open conflict, he had full confidence of coming out on top. Something his opponents must have realized as well.

A sharp knock on the door alleviated his growing sense of unease. Henry went ahead and answered the door. Ignar and his wife were back, and their expressions made his headache return with a vengeance.

"They have disbanded the Adventurer's Guild," Ignar got straight to the point. "And most of the adventurers are either packing, or on their way to the nearest Alliance led city."

Aenon had barely recovered from the blow when Thalindra also joined them along with Borin, Boff, and Toff.

"Most of the merchants and craftsmen have decided to leave town," Thalindra said with pursed lips. "The rare few who are left are very inexperienced and can barely provide us with any resources for a prolonged siege. Weapons and armor will be in short supply."

Aenon leaned back, the weight of governance finally starting to settle in. Facing death was simple. Facing underhanded political schemes on the other hand…

"If I may, sire," Henry interrupted his spiraling thoughts. "As city Mayor, you can restrict the exodus. If enforced, no one can leave the place without facing severe System penalties. That will force the people to stay and support our war efforts."

Aenon frowned at the idea. Given the circumstances, it looked like the only option for survival. But he didn't even consider it for one simple reason.

"…force the people…"

He had given his word that following him would be a choice. Even without that though, his nature didn't allow him to take someone's free will. Despite it being the only viable option.

Mrs. Ashvein's words echoed in his mind.

"Don't lose too much of yourself"

"War is different."

Aenon started chuckling as he recalled the advice. The old woman's words were almost prophetic. His laugh confused the others, who all started exchanging concerned looks.

"Like rats abandoning a sinking ship," Aenon said with a depreciating smile. He pushed the grim reports to the side and turned to face everyone, starting with Henry.

"I am not going to bother replying to you since you already know my answer to your suggestion," he saif stiffly. "Make sure the rest of the food reserves are well protected. I will not tolerate a repeat fiasco."

"Yes, sire," Henry bowed nervously.

"Any chance the adventurers can be enticed to stay? Doesn't matter how many," Aenon asked Ignar.

"Highly unlikely," Ignar said grimly. "But I will try. There are some favors I could try cashing in."

"Good, let's start with that," Aenon replied. He turned to Thalindra next, "I want an inventory of our available supplies as well as a headcount of anyone who has decided to stay. I want a separate list of people who have trap making Skills. We may not have the manpower, but we can optimize what we have."

"Ahem. I can take care of the inventory and trap making," Borin spoke up. "Can get you the most bang for your buck. My apprentice also seems to have a decent knack for it. Don't know why he avoids you like the plague though. Also know a particular leather worker who is raising a ruckus in the market to make people stay."

Aenon smiled at the dwarf's mention of Mike. The pride from the dwarf at his apprentice's progress was clear.

It was also good to know that Aenon's goodwill had borne some fruit. He could almost picture Miranda's father going door to door to convince people. How successful he would be was yet to be seen.

"Great," Aenon said with a clap. "We all know what to do. Now it's just a matter of executing it."

Everyone nodded but didn't immediately leave. The group continued to stare at him, their thoughts a jumbled mess.

"Anything else?" Aenon asked in confusion.

Borin spoke plainly on everyone's behalf, "Folks in the Multiverse ain't used to seeing their leadership stay when the going gets tough. And this situation be as hopeless as it can get."

Aenon turned to every person in the room; Jenny had sneaked in at some point.

"What can I say," Aenon shrugged. "I am a man of my word."

"Heh," Borin chuckled. "That you are, laddie. Let's just hope we can fulfill ours."

With that the group dispersed, hurrying to salvage what they could. Only Jenny stayed behind.

"I am guessing this is about the chief rat you captured," Aenon said simply, to which Jenny nodded.

A shadow coalesced as a familiar face came into view. Aenon made his mask reappear before Erwin could look at him.

"So, I guess I have you to thank for the current state of my city," Aenon said emotionlessly.

Erwin looked around him in a panic, trying fruitlessly to find an escape route. The man was a shadow of his former self, counting their first encounter on Earth. There was a wild madness in his soul that was born from jealousy and greed. Aenon wasn't sure what his soul looked like pre-System integration, but it couldn't be the battered shell he now witnessed.

Aenon noticed the missing hands, raising an eyebrow at Jenny.

"He tried to kill himself to escape using a resurrection token," Jenny replied with a shrug.

"You will pay for that," Erwin finally replied, unable to find a way out. He started laughing like a mad man, something Aenon felt wasn't that far from the truth. "You will all pay for it. Hahahahaha. You have no idea what's coming, do you?"

Aenon didn't respond, studying the man he once knew with curiosity. Their interaction on Earth may have been brief, but Erwin seemed pretty normal back then.

"It seems you have some questions," Aenon finally said. "Good. I have those too. So, lets continue where we left off last time."

Erwin blinked, confused by the statement.

"One question per turn. You can go first."

Aenon saw the gears turn in Erwin's head as he pieced together the memory fragments. Pure horror came to the forefront of his soul as he finally made the connection.

"And just like last time, you have once again taken what's mine," Aenon said coldly as he made his mask disappear. "And I hope you didn't forget."

The shocked man fell over backwards, completely oblivious to the world around him. Aenon felt Erwin's very soul shudder as they made eye contact.

"I always settle my debts."

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