《A Broken Being》


 Awakening

    I can''t do this anymore.


    In my time here, I''ve seen some terrible things, hell, I''ve DONE some terrible things.


    Butl, I didn''t consider myself a bad person. Do you know why? Because I told myself that it was for the greater good. The knowledge we gained would guide us into a better future - a glorious one. We broke law after law made by kings, emperors, and even gods because we thought we knew better.


    I was never in the position to order these crimes, but I did as I was told, which makes me responsible, like everyone else in this godforsaken institution.


    But this has gone too far. These experiments... they are too much. I still hear the screams. They follow me in my dreams, not just the screams but their faces. Every night I feared going to bed because I knew what would await me. But still, I pushed through and did my part in the organization. ¡°Progress won¡¯t be achieved through complacency,¡± to quote the Facility Lord. But then my dreams transitioned into the real world. Their faces appeared in the corner of my vision, but every time I looked, no one was there. I can''t do this anymore.


    If one has to sacrifice oneself to discover the truth, is it not better to stay ignorant? This project is just one of the many missteps that we have taken toward our futile goal of knowledge. Is it wrong for a Knowledge Seeker to utter those words? Perhaps, but I don¡¯t care anymore. The Institution¡¯s guiding philosophy is flawed at its core.


    I don¡¯t have the power to right the wrongs in my past but I do have the power to make a difference today. I know that I have forgone the gods with my ways, but I truly hope that there is one who will take pity upon my blackened heart and take me into heaven. For at least today I will do what is right.


    <hr>


    My first memories are of darkness. Darkness and agony. It shouldn''t be possible to feel pain when your nerves haven''t even been created yet, but it was there. A searing, hot pain that infested every corner of my mind.


    I wanted to scream, but I had no mouth. I wanted to see, but I had no eyes. I wanted to move, but I had no body. I couldn''t do anything, but be still and hope that the pain would go away. I floated in the darkness, drifting wherever it took me.


    Soon voices began to fill my head. They sounded so close, yet so far away. But like all things, they were gone too soon. After some time even the pain began to disappear. How much time? I didn¡¯t know. Time wasn¡¯t something that existed in my current state, as everything was and would forever be the same. But that wasn¡¯t true. The pain¡­ it was subsiding, change was happening. I didn''t dare move out of fear of it coming back.


    FREEDOM. LIFE. Rebirth.


    My head started to hurt again, like someone had stabbed a needle in it. What is a needle? I screamed. As quickly as the pain had come, it was gone, leaving me gasping for air. The pain was replaced by something smooth and cold pressing against my back. It took me a moment to realise what this meant. I had a body!


    My eyes shot open. A dark sky with hundreds of twinkling lights was spread out above me. They beckoned me to just stare at them, trying to find patterns in the infinite glow that contrasted perfectly with the surrounding darkness. They looked so close. Maybe if I¡­ Slowly I could feel my body working and soon something obscured the lights. A claw, as dark as the night sky, tried to grab one of the lights between its talons but it just slipped right through. My attention was drawn to the claw. My claw. It took a moment for the full extent of what I was seeing to sink in. I had a body.


    Carefully I lowered my arm to the ground and tried to push myself up. With a small yelp, I fell back down. A dry gasp escaped my mouth. Pain was an intense sensation. Not a pleasant one, but one I welcomed nonetheless. I didn¡¯t even try to hold back my laughter of joy. It hurt but that didn¡¯t matter! I could feel! I wanted to jump up, dance, sing, and express my joy in a thousand different ways. But that was something I couldn¡¯t do right now.


    My arms were still too weak to support the rest of my body. But failure wouldn¡¯t stop me from exploring this unexpected gift. I started by pushing myself into a seated position to get a better view of my surroundings. What I found was¡­ unexpected.


    The position in which I had awakened was in the centre of a large crater. No, large wasn''t the right word to describe it. Massive was more like it. If a thousand bodies had suddenly appeared, the crater wouldn''t even be half full. But there weren''t any other bodies. Just me. Alone. The feeling of joy didn''t go away, but it was more muted now.


    For the first time, I could truly think and I found my mind swarmed with questions that begged to be answered. ? Hlo s th?"


    Moving my mouth hurt, something that I was sure shouldn¡¯t be the case. What had come out of it had been also wrong. I knew how to speak but it felt weird and uncomfortable to do so. Oh well, I would have to get used to it. Repeating my question aloud helped immensely and soon I managed to speak actual words. ¡°Anybody there?¡±


    No answer came. Suddenly, as if a switch had been flipped, a feeling ran through me. I felt... alone. Defenseless. I felt like curling up into a ball and waiting for someone to come help me. The feeling was so intense that I had to compose myself for quite some time afterward. First the amazement of seeing the world and now the feeling of being alone.


    A dichotomy of good and bad. Something I would need to think more deeply about but now was not the time. I had no idea why I suddenly had a body but I wouldn¡¯t waste it. My legs felt wobbly as I slowly rose and took my first tentative steps. The fall that followed was unpleasant but expected. Still, I had managed a few steps. Motivated by this I rose for the second time and took another couple of steps before falling back down.


    This pattern continued for some time until I finally managed to slowly walk without landing on my knees. The feeling of pride that washed over me made all the pain worth it. It was a bit tough to tear myself away from my feelings but I managed it. The next objective that I gave myself was to reach the edge of the crater. This would require some time. Soon I fell into a pattern: one foot forward, pause, the other foot follows, and repeat.


    After a while, I didn¡¯t even need to actively think about walking, which let me focus on my other senses. The cool breeze on my skin, the way the sand flowed around my toes, the fresh smell, all of it felt amazing. Even the previously oppressive silence had turned into a soft blanket with the patterns of the rhythmically crunching sand beneath my feet. It all felt so nice. And as I got accustomed to this, my eyes spotted an irregularity.


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    To my left there was something floating in the air. It was too far away to make out any details but it looked like a piece of string that had become stuck midair. Curious, I changed my path and approached. As I got closer I reconsidered my initial assessment. String wasn¡¯t an accurate description. Perhaps hole was better. A few steps away, I stopped to examine it.


    Yes, it looked like a hole hovering above the ground. It was almost as big as me, but the diameter varied. At the top and bottom I could only fit my finger through, but the middle was big enough to fit my whole head. Not that I would have stuck it in. The edges were... frayed, for lack of a better term. It looked unstable, as if it could close at any moment. Walking around it, I noticed that all the sides looked the same. Strange. Perhaps floating holes were normal in the world? I certainly didn''t know. But what I found even stranger was the place it led to. Nowhere. At the other end, all I could see was white. No earth, no sky, no things, just white. Like a crack in the world.


    Despite this emptiness, I felt myself pulled to it. No, only a part of me was affected. I glanced down my left arm. It was twitching, the claw on its end eager to spring forward. I shuddered, an entirely new and uncomfortable motion. I wasn¡¯t controlling the twitching. No matter what I did, it didn¡¯t stop.


    This was the first time I truly looked at my body and noticed that something did not match. I had a head, a torso, two arms, and two legs, all covered with pale white skin. Well, almost all. My left arm seemed to be the exception. It was covered in midnight black scales, each about as big as a fingernail. Attached to it was a claw. The talons were black sickle-like protrusions that were slightly longer than my normal fingers. The feeling I got from it was¡­ weird.


    While the rest of my body had - after some time - felt like a real part of me, this one didn¡¯t. I could control it, but it was different. Like many things, it was hard to express. Furthermore, the spot where it connected with the rest of my body didn''t look right. There wasn¡¯t a smooth transition from skin to scale but rather an abrupt switch that seemed unnatural.


    It almost looked like the original arm had been cut off and replaced with this one. Black veins that looked to have spread from the meeting point connected the arm to my chest. They strongly contrasted the rest of my pale skin, which in itself also seemed different from what it should look like. There were scars. A LOT of scars. They were perfect lines that made it look like my body had been methodically cut open numerous times.


    I snapped away from my inspection when I noticed that my claw was moving toward the hole. Trying to stop it with my will failed and I had to take a couple of steps backward so that it wouldn¡¯t go through. The complete lack of control over one of my body parts felt disturbing. A glance at the floating hole still showed only white. Maybe touching it wouldn¡¯t be so bad. My body, or at least a part of it, wanted to, so what was the problem? Slowly I inched closer.


    Suddenly something in the whiteness moved. I instinctively stumbled backward, which was the only thing that saved me from being impaled. My brain seemed to stop working as I stared at the claw that had just shot out of the opening and was still grasping at me. Its talons looked like sharp tentacles that were tipped by small mouths containing needle-like teeth.


    They stretched in my direction, seeming to be eager to get a taste of me. I could hear the teeth gnashing together. The claw was connected to a long spindly looking arm that had come out of the hole. All of it was white, perfectly blending into the white background inside of the hole. I was almost glad that I couldn¡¯t make out what sort of nightmarish creature the arm belonged to.


    Before I could react, a loud screech filled the air. The arm fell to the ground, as the hole it had come out of suddenly closed. It wriggled on the ground before quickly dissolving, leaving nothing behind of that monstrosity. I blankly stared at the place that the hole had previously occupied.


    ¡°What¡­ was that?¡± I was so in disbelief that I had asked the question out loud. That creature had tried to end my life. I had felt it, its malice directed at me. Mere moments ago I had celebrated life and now something had tried to take it away. I shuddered as I remembered the darkness. The raging darkness, all that pain, the feeling of nothin- My mind snapped back to reality. Whatever that thing was, it had failed. That was the only thing that mattered. I was ok.


    Quickly standing back up I looked at my surroundings more clearly. In the distance, I could make out more floating holes, some smaller, some larger. What if that creature tried to come through one of them? I didn¡¯t know how large it was but some of those holes were almost three times my size. The only solution was to get far away from here. Without much thought, I started sloppily running towards the edge of the crater.


    <hr>


    ¡°What in the seven hells was that?!¡± Abnar calmly looked up from his viewing orb, as Rashyta stormed through the palace doors. The towering woman was flanked by two of her grand arbiters, whose multifaceted eyes were rapidly displaying images of the mortal realm in an attempt to understand their mistress''s distress. ¡°So you sensed it too?¡± Abnar asked.


    ¡°Of course, I sensed the disturbance! Everybody who has even the slightest sensitivity to reality noticed it. It felt like a reality-distorting bomb went off in the mortal realm.¡± Rashyta shuddered. ¡°The worst thing is that I can¡¯t find what caused it! Someone else has to have found it before us! We need to-¡±


    ¡°First off, calm down,¡± Abnar interrupted his panicking daughter. His commanding tone made her finally snap out of it. With a deep breath, she composed herself and dismissed the grand arbiters. He frowned at the unnecessary motion but let it pass. Breathing was a characteristic of the mortal races and something completely unnecessary to them. When Rashyta was calm he continued.


    ¡°You can¡¯t find anything because I cloaked it.¡± She let out a breath of relief but stopped when she saw her fathers frown. It was obvious that she was spending too much time around her chosen but this was something that could be corrected later. Instead, he showed her his viewing orb. Her face went through several emotions before settling on disgust.


    "You should destroy it," Rashyta stated coldly while looking at the orb. Abnar sighed and stood up from his throne. "It''s sad to see that your only opinion on this matter is destruction. Where is your creativity? Where is your forethought? I''m disappointed in you." Rashyta clenched her hand in frustration and answered through gritted teeth, "With all due respect father, there is no need for creativity in justice. This disgusting¡­thing is an amalgamation of our worst enemies. How was it even created in the first place? Was it the institution?¡± At her father¡¯s nod, she continued her raving. ¡°Who do they think they are, gods? Messing with the natural order like that, their mortal bodies should be tortured and their soul send to the deepest layer of hell! They-¡±


    ¡°Compose yourself!¡± She stopped at her father''s admonishment. Abnar clicked his tongue and looked out the window where the Golden City was unfolded in all its glory.


    ¡°You are correct on many fronts. But you lack imagination.¡± Rashyta wanted to interrupt but Abnar¡¯s glare stopped her. ¡°Yes, I could send one of my chosen to kill this abomination and that would be it. But does that solve our main problem? No! They will keep creating chaos until they die or one of their experiments causes the seal to break. And I do not have to tell you that we don¡¯t want that to happen, right? Our interactions with the mortal realm are limited. We can''t directly interfere with the many problems popping up and you want to destroy something that could help us with that?"


    She opened her mouth to retort, but he held up a finger. "Think before you speak. This is a unique opportunity for us to deal with the institution. Their people avoid our chosen like the blight, but this! They won¡¯t ignore one of their creation roaming freely around the world. They will come to collect and then,¡± Abnar couldn¡¯t stop his chuckling.


    ¡°Well, let''s just say that I believe that they bit off more than they can chew. Now go.¡± With that, he turned back to his viewing orb to watch the chaos that was bound to unfold. Rashyta stared at the god of light, not fully understanding what he meant. She also knew that asking for clarifications would result in nothing. So, the goddess of justice turned around and left the palace very unhappy.

 Mind and Vision

    The world of the mindscape lay empty and quiet. Nothing moved, nothing breathed, and everything was silent. Then the rumbling started. The earth cracked and the sky darkened, as a beast opened its eyes.


    Hunger. Pain. Curiosity.


    For the first time in its life, it had gained sentience. It was still dominated by its base desires but now it could truly think! With a rumble, the beast¡¯s hunger made itself known. It couldn¡¯t remember the last time it ate but that would change. In the distance, it could make out a castle - a castle that radiated essence. Hunger. Oh, how delicious that essence tasted.


    The world trembled as the beast started to move. Suddenly, purple chains materialised around it, binding it to the ground. It growled in frustration and tried to tear itself free but failed. How annoying. However, the beast wasn¡¯t feared for its physical strength.


    With a howl, it raised its claws into the air and commanded reality to obey its whim. Nothing. It thrashed and tore but no matter what it did, the chains wouldn¡¯t budge. The beast couldn¡¯t comprehend why its abilities had failed. Sentience hadn¡¯t given it the capacity to realise that it was in a world where reality didn¡¯t matter. Its ears twitched as it sensed the essence of the world move. An emotionless voice rang out across the world.


    "Disturbance of local essence detected. Unknown entity detected. Countermeasures have been implemented."


    The beast didn¡¯t know who that voice belongs to but it also didn¡¯t care. The only thoughts on its mind were how to get free and how to satiate its hunger. It strained again and this time, one of the links in the chain broke. The voice spoke again.


    ¡°Countermeasures have been deemed insufficient. Activating stronger containment measures.¡±


    For a while, the only sounds that could be heard were of the beast struggling.


    ¡°Error. User permission required. Seeking permission from User¡­ no User detected. Probational User and Former User do not meet criteria.¡±


    Another link broke and the beast howled in triumph. It didn¡¯t know what the voice was saying but soon it wouldn¡¯t matter. Soon it would break free and finally feed.


    <hr>


    Sitting at the edge of the crater, I observed the last crack in the air close and breathed a sigh of relief. It had taken some time and a lot of effort to climb out of the pit but it looked like I was safe. Probably. I knew too little about the dangers of this world but for now, it would be best if I stayed optimistic.


    After taking a while to recover I finally managed to stand up and gaze at my surroundings. A land of vibrant yellow colours stretched as far as the eye could see. It looked like the ground was a living being, moving with the wind and creating small hills and valleys that existed for only a moment before another gust took them away. The only sound that could be heard was the whispering of the wind that came and went as it pleased. My enthusiasm for living had taken a bit of a hit but this was enough to bring it back in force. Everything looked so vibrant and beautiful.


    I went to my knees and grabbed a handful of sand, which promptly trickled through my fingers. There were thousands, no, millions of small pieces that created this living landscape. With the laugh of a madman, I threw the sand into the air and let it rain down on me. A move that I would come to regret, as pieces of it got into my eyes. It burned and only feverish scratching managed to remove it. Then I repeated my action but this time kept my eyes closed. The feeling of the sand trickling down my face was very pleasant.


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    Still laughing at my stupidity, I stood up and looked around myself for the second time. Despite the beauty of the landscape, I still had to think about what I was going to do next. The first thing I wanted to do was get away from this crater. There was no need to risk the monster coming back. But that left the question of where to go.


    No landmarks, no buildings, no living beings. Nothing that could help me orient myself. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll let chance decide,¡± I muttered.Pointing my claw in a random direction, I spun until I got dizzy and stopped. My claw was pointing towards the crater. After several more failed attempts, I gave up and just chose a direction at random. ¡°Stupid chance,¡± I grumbled. Getting the same result five times was, on some level, impressive but right now it felt like some sort of joke. Still, this wouldn¡¯t get my mood down. Not when I had a whole world to explore.


    I started slow, as I was fairly new to moving. But over time I began to go faster and faster until I started running. My feet dug into the ground with every step and sprayed bits of sand into the air, while the barren landscape flashed by me. It was exhilarating and I could feel myself grinning.


    I continued in this manner for a while until me breathing started to hurt and I was forced to slow down. My stamina was good but not endless. I took a look behind me and saw that I had traveled quite a distance, with the crater barely visible on the horizon. The rest of my view was still filled with sand. Wiping off some sweat, I walked at a leisures pace until I recovered.


    From then on I traveled in this cycle of running and walking. During my running phase, I managed to cover a lot of distance, while the walking phase let me appreciate the beauty of the landscape. The movement of the sand was mesmerising, even if a bit monotone. Still, I was sure that this was only a small part of this world¡¯s wonder. How did I know? Intuition and optimism. Other than continuing my journey there really wasn¡¯t a lot to do, which left plenty of time to think.


    The oddness of my situation wasn¡¯t lost on me. There were so many unanswered questions. Why was I suddenly alive? What is this place? Are there other living beings? And most importantly, what was my plan? A lot of questions with no answers. The shock of living had partly worn off, which let the questions flood in. Flood¡­ like water. Huh. Frowning, I stopped running. Wait, how did I know what water was? Suddenly everything shifted.


    An empty white room. I tried to move but couldn¡¯t. My head shifted to the right where I noticed the presence of a strange device. I hadn¡¯t moved my head. It felt like I was watching events unfold as an outside observer, not in control of what was to happen. A voice reverberated from the machine.


    ¡°Test number 3.9 commencing. Goal of test: measuring the subject''s ability to work under stress.¡±


    Two holes opened up in the ceiling and water started to fill the chamber. My body sprung up and hectically moved around the room, seemingly looking for something. The water was already at knee height and steadily rising. Before I could see what would happen, my perspective switched again.


    I found myself back in my body, standing there like nothing had happened. Rapidly blinking I tried to process what had just occurred. Did- what did I just witness? It took a lot of willpower to not break down right then and there. I had just seen something that I had no knowledge of ever witnessing. My life had begun mere moments ago, so from where was this vision? Did I see the world through someone else¡¯s eyes? Yes, that had to be it.


    This realisation made me calm down. It was still extremely weird and created many questions but at least it didn¡¯t mean that I had somehow forgotten parts of my life. The thought of doing something and then forgetting it was very disturbing for me. But whose memory had I just seen and how? There was no explanation I could think of. Taking a deep breath I decided to try optimism. Maybe this was a one-time thing and I would have no further visions!


    ¡°As if,¡± I scoffed. Optimism could only get you so far until you ran dry. First the monster and then this vision. I was sensing a pattern. For now, there was nothing I could do. Many open questions had to wait, simply because I had no way of answering them. Maybe I would find answers later. Or not.


    Thoroughly disturbed I started running again. Life was better than that eternal darkness but how much better was still up for debate. I only hoped that this was the last curveball that life threw at me. Wait, what was a curve- nope! Not going back there. Instead, I just continued moving, imagining leaving my problems behind. Surely, the rest of the world would be nicer. And filled with other thinking beings. It was honestly getting a bit lonely.

 Monsters

    The next shock I received luckily didn¡¯t come from any vision or monster. Instead, it came from a giant ball of light that rose from a distant dune. The night had been pleasantly cool, with the wind creating refreshing gusts that felt nice across my skin.


    It also nicely contrasted the warmth of the sand, a weird fact that I didn¡¯t really think about. How was the sand warm? Well, now I had my answer. Once the light appeared, the world quickly began to heat up, which was delightful at first. At least until the temperature crossed a boundary. I panted as I took another step, having to squint my eyes at the blistering heat. Traveling during the day wasn¡¯t fun, even if it gave me a new perspective on the world around me.


    But since there wasn¡¯t anything else I could do, I continued walking. Hopefully, I would soon meet somebody. The possibility that I was the only living being in the world was unlikely and with nothing to distract me, it was getting a bit lonely. Worrying over questions I couldn¡¯t answer wasn¡¯t very fun or productive, so I moved on.


    The next change occurred when the light disk was about to set. It had gotten colder again and I was in my running phase, mindlessly plodding along. I almost missed the white spot in the corner of my eye, but the way it interrupted the monotone yellow made me pause. What was that? My excitement for something new almost broke the sense of caution I had developed after the hole-monster. Yes, that was now its official name. But that colour reminded me too much of that creature so I contained my excitement.


    I slowly advanced, ready to run at any sign of trouble. My life was too short to end now. When I crested the final dune separating me from my target, I gasped. Before me stood another living being! The creature went up to my knees and sported six short legs with a white carapace that covered its entire body. The antennas on its head twitched as I approached and it turned around to face me.


    Soulless black eyes stared up at me. It had two large mandibles that clanged together as I got closer. I crouched down and reached out with my claw. ¡°Hello, it''s nice to meet you! Could you tell me where I am?¡± Instead of answering the creature scuttled over and grabbed my outstretched claw with its mandibles. How nice, it was shaking my hand! From my weird well of knowledge, I knew that that was the equivalent of saying hello. Maybe this creature couldn¡¯t talk and was trying to communicate through gestures.


    ¡°Yes, it''s also nice to meet you!¡± I enthusiastically responded to what I thought it was saying. ¡°I am new to this whole living thing and just trying to find interesting stuff. It is a relief to see that I am not the only one around. Can you believe that the first creature I met tried to kill me? Unbelievable! How could anyone try to take someone else¡¯s life? The world is beautiful and so much better compared to the other side, trust me.¡± I still shuddered at the thought of that darkness. ¡°Anyway, what can I call you?¡± The only response was a clicking sound, as my conversation partner tried to move their head, with the mandibles still attached to my claw. Having such a firm grip on my other arm would probably hurt, but through the scales, I didn¡¯t feel a thing.


    ¡°Click? You want to be called Click? Sure, that works for me! So, do you-¡° Suddenly the ground shook and a creature identical to Click surfaced behind my partner. ¡°Oh, is that your friend? Hi, other Click! It''s so nice to-¡± The ground shook again and another Click surfaced. I raised an eyebrow at the fellow who still had its mandibles around my claw. ¡°It''s nice to see that you aren¡¯t alone but could you please let go? It feels a bit weird doing this in front of all your-¡° Another shake, another Click emerged. Then another. And another. I awkwardly chuckled at the advancing Clicks. ¡°Wow, there are a lot of you.¡±


    Lesson of the day: One Click is cute. Two Clicks are also cute. Three or more Clicks and you run.


    I huffed as I finally felt safe. After looking over my shoulder to see if there were any more monsters I breathed a sigh of relief. There were a LOT of Clicks but luckily they weren¡¯t fast and had given up the chase once they realised I wasn¡¯t easy prey. I face-planted into the sand and screamed all my frustration out. The sand muffled the sound but it felt good to let it all out.


    Since my arrival in the living world, I had met two creatures, both of which had tried to end me. Why? My mind conjured up images of meat and other weird items that somehow made my mouth water. Sustenance. Food. A vision of somebody stuffing their mouth. A splitting headache followed, making me groan. Another unexplained vision because I thought too hard about something. At least this one explained something. Creatures had to eat. Or did they choose to eat? I hadn¡¯t consumed anything since coming here but was still fine. I got up and started walking again. It sure would be nice if I had answers.


    Night settled and I was walking beneath a blanket of stars when I heard something. Tilting my head I looked in the direction of the sounds but a dune was covering my view. Was it another monster that would try to eat me? Another cruel joke by this world? Still, my curiosity drove me forward even when my caution screamed at me to be careful.


    But as I got closer I noticed something. Those weren¡¯t just random sounds I was hearing. No, they were voices, speaking real words that I recognised. At first, I thought I had gone insane from the solitude and monsters, but no. The voices were as real as the sand beneath my feet.


    It took a lot of effort to not immediately rush towards the sound. Real thinking beings that I could speak with! Maybe they could answer all my questions, about my visions, the world, and how I had gotten here! If you go out there, they will kill you. I agreed with my inner voice. Two out of two creatures I had met had tried to kill me and I didn¡¯t want to make it three out of three. Caution was necessary.


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    I crouched down and slowly crawled on top of the dune. The darkness would make it more difficult to spot me, but the glowing lights in the sky ensured that that was always a possibility. The voices were getting louder and I managed to pick out at least six different speakers. The sense of danger increased.


    Finally, I reached the top of the dune and peaked over it. Below me was some sort of camp. Small structures were arrayed in a circle around some kind of device that bathed the clearing in a warm light. But what caught my attention were the creatures. I counted twelve of them sitting or standing around the device doing various activities. Most of them talked or ate but some held various armaments and were walking around the outside of the camp.


    To me, it looked like they were patrolling and looking for threats. Luckily, I was well hidden and I doubted anyone would see me in the darkness. When I examined one of them, I noted their similarity to me. We had the same build, with two arms, two legs, a torso, and a head. Although, from what I could see none of them sported a claw.


    Another difference was that their bodies were covered in some sort of material, hiding most of it. From my distance, I couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying and I definitely wouldn¡¯t risk coming closer. The discovery of creatures who looked like me and could talk like me was exciting, but not enough to risk my life. Although¡­ I eagerly crawled forward to get a better look. This was a new development and I was very eager to discover more.


    <hr>


    Eleura Panzinho leaned back in her leather chair and let out a sigh. Being an Administrator was taxing. Naturally, it came with a lot of benefits and power, but the paperwork was astonishing, way more so than her previous jobs as Main Knowledge Seeker or Facility Lord. It also didn''t help that she was stationed in the middle of the desert.


    Looking out the window made her frown. Seran was such a boring city. It was decently sized but comparing it to other cities made it seem small. Everything in the desert was smaller than in the rest of the kingdom.


    The Scorching Barrens was an overlooked spot in the Kingdom of Sanktrum that almost felt like it was forgotten by the rest of the world. Few people here had aspirations for something greater, but those who had were perfect targets for the institution. Eleura¡¯s thoughts wandered to the City Lord.


    He was a weak old man, who sought power to take revenge on the rest of his house for banishing him to this remote place. A perfect tool, yet one she disliked. But a place of banishment was the perfect breeding ground for resentment. She scratched the scales on her arm in irritation. A place of banishment. Those bastards had put her here, thinking it would keep her down. A non-human couldn¡¯t be an Administrator, they thought and laughed behind her back. Always behind her back. But Eleura¡¯s achievements spoke for themselves and this project would be the final steppingstone of her road to victory.


    Just thinking about Project: Daemonium Renatus put a smile on her face. If the project worked then all of this hiding would finally stop. She had personally overseen all the experiments in her time as Main Knowledge Seeker and even after her ascension to Facility Lord hadn''t stopped focusing on it. Only after her ascension to Administrator had she delegated the project to Milgram, a Facility Lord who had shown himself capable enough to watch over the last few steps.


    It had made her immensely happy when the Second Overseer had given her control of this project. Before that, her career had felt like a slog through an endless march as she battled the stigma of being someone without a notable background and a non-human that was trying to reach over her station. But that ended when she had been assigned a task by one of the Overseers and her accomplishments were suddenly recognised by others. Her rapid rise through the ranks had shown them how wrong they had been to treat her like dirt. But it wasn''t enough. Even now the other Administrators didn''t see her as one of their own and thought of her as beneath them for not being human. But she would show them. She would show all of them.


    A knock on the door interrupted her inner power-hungry musings. She straightened up and put on a neutral expression. "Come in." The door opened and in stepped her assistant holding a stack of papers. ''Good, those should be the reports of the other facilities around the desert. Maybe this time there will be-'' She stopped her thought process as she saw his scared expression. "What is it?" she demanded. He was a good assistant, but if he had somehow screwed up then she would have no problem feeding him to the test subjects.


    He gulped as he saw her expression and made a quick salute. ¡°Administrator Panzinho, Facility X didn¡¯t activate their communication orb at the usual meeting times. We have lost communication with them,¡± he quickly stated, glad to get the news off of his chest. Now he just had to wait for how his superior would react.


    Eleura didn''t show any outward reaction as her mind began to race. ''Shit, this is bad. What is Facility Lord Milgram doing? He was given strict orders to exercise great caution while testing and immediately inform me if something went wrong. Did the Creator¡¯s Church attack the facility? Did they go rogue? It doesn''t matter what happens, I will be given all the blame if this project fails! The Overseers will skin me alive, if they ever find out about this.'' Her thoughts churned as she went over all the possibilities and what to do.


    Her superiors couldn''t find out about it or she''d be done. All of her hard work would go to waste, as all her opponents would use this failure to bring her down. There was the possibility that Milgrem wasn''t able to report to her, because of some unforeseen complications but would still contact her later. Right now she should treat this as an emergency that could at best cost her her station and at worst her life. The Overseers didn¡¯t like failures.


    Having come to a decision she took a look at the person in front of her. Her assistant was responsible for all communication with other facilities and most likely rushed straight to her after finding out that something was wrong. He had been a good assistant, but she wasn''t about to risk this information spreading.


    His face paled as he realised what was going through her head. He turned to run, but it was already too late. The ring on her finger glowed in a sickening green light and he immediately collapsed as his heart stopped beating. It wouldn''t be easy to explain his death, but she didn''t care at the moment. The Administrator clenched her hand into a fist. She would fix this, no matter the cost.

 Traveling

    Once the first light crested the horizon, the creatures started packing up their camp. They folded the structures and put them into giant bags, that looked very heavy. At first, I wondered if they would carry them throughout the entire journey but then I noticed a different kind of creature.


    There were 16 of them that had been kept on the other side of the camp during the night. These creatures had a stout frame on top of six legs and were used by the two-legs as pack animals. Two-legs was a very spontaneous name and, in the same vein, the other creatures received the name six-legs. Although, Clicks also had six legs. Better not think too hard about that.


    I had tried to get an exact count of the two-legs, but their constant movement made it difficult. In the end, I settled at around 20. This movement also made it a lot harder to stay undetected and there were several moments where I had to retreat because one of them got too close. However, once they started moving, security became a lot more relaxed. Happy to finally start traveling again I waited for a bit and followed them once there was a good distance between us.


    It turns out that it''s very hard to follow someone when the land around them is mostly flat. I had to move from dune to dune and hope that they wouldn''t spot me. I consider it a miracle that they didn''t. With nothing to break up the monotony, I followed them in this fashion for the entire day.


    Nothing exciting happened but I started to notice something. My movement was more sluggish and I tripped more often than I was willing to admit. It also didn''t help that my eyes had decided that they had enough of this and did their best to close. Still, I persist until the two-legs stopped and set up their camp. They quickly build up the structures and placed that strange light-device in the middle. One of them fiddled with it until it turned on and bathed the surrounding area in light.


    The two-legs gathered around it and sat down. Some of them went to the six-legs, which were tied to some poles, and took something from their bags. They then returned and handed it out to the other two-legs. Quickly everything calmed down and the creatures started to eat and talk amongst themselves. As I observed I started noticing differences amongst them.


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    Most of them were garbed in some yellow fabric that protected them from the light-disk and sand. Amongst those, some wore more refined and colourful stuff. They were also the ones usually shouting orders, so I assumed that they were in charge. Last but not least, were the guardians. They also had a yellow garment covering them but under that, there was a more tight-fitting brownish material. In their hands and at their hips they carried various sharp implements that I imagined would hurt to be hit by. However, other than that there wasn¡¯t much else to say about the two-legs.


    I watched for a while longer, waiting for something interesting to happen, but after some time decided to stop. Partly because of the risk and partly because it was getting me nowhere. I distanced myself from the camp, making sure I was far enough before sitting down.


    I leaned against a small mound and looked up. The sky was filled with shimmering points, that seemed to create patterns in the air. The big white glowing disk wasn''t visible, which made me a bit sad. Just laying there felt... nice. All of the weight I had unknowingly carried throughout my journey melted away and transformed into a soft blanket that made me feel comfortable. All of the questions melted away, leaving me with nothing to worry about. A weight settled onto my eyes, but instead of resisting it, I embraced it. I knew that this wasn''t good and that I should be aware of my surroundings at all times, but for now, I didn''t care. What could happen if I closed my eyes for only a moment?


    <hr>


    The beast pulled and another chain broke. Its bindings had slowly gotten weaker but there were still so many chains. The ground around it was torn up and a thick black mist obscured its surroundings. Still no sound, other than the beast itself. The voice hadn¡¯t returned but the hunger remained. Suddenly, it stopped struggling and looked up. Something was close.


    A conciseness drifted by, not quite close enough to enter the mind scape, but still brushing up against it. Hunger. The beast roared and the world trembled. It pulled and the barrier between the mindscape and the rest cracked. Only enough for a part of the conciseness to slip through, but that was enough. The beast licked its lips at the promise of satiating its hunger.

 Death

    I was surrounded by darkness. A black mist, swirling around me and limiting my view. I tried to move, but my body didn''t listen. Panic started to rise, threatening to drown me if I didn''t get it under control. The darkness of the abyss, a world of no light or life. A world from where all life came and all life would return. How was I such a fool to think I had escaped its grasp? Why- I stopped. This was too similar to my memories of not being alive. But it wasn¡¯t the same. There was no pain and the darkness didn¡¯t seem all-consuming. This was just a figment of my imagination and would disappear soon. It would disappear.


    My calmness seemed to help and the mist in front of me parted. I wish it hadn¡¯t. Before me, stood a gigantic four-legged monster, towering over me and my surroundings. The mist obscured most of its body but the rest that was shown was more than enough for me.


    Its head was dominated by a snout and a mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth. Two hateful eyes were staring back at me. Its black fur seemed to have a mind of its own and was constantly creating disturbing patterns. A severed head, a bestial jaw, a beating heart. No, that wasn¡¯t fur. I tried to take a step back but my body wouldn¡¯t move and forced me to stare at the abomination. Claws. The monster didn¡¯t have fur but thousands of claws that were connected to its body by short arms and grasping for something to catch. A horror of the mortal world stood before me.


    This thing was wrong. A spit in the face to everything that life stood for. It twitched uncontrollably, like it was eager to leap forward and take a bite out of me. The burning eyes were drilling into my soul, making me unable to move. I watched in horror as it took a step forward and leaned its head forward. Only a hand¡¯s breadth separated me from its jaw. They opened. Suddenly screams filled my head and my body was yanked away from the creature. The last thing I heard before I awoke was an ear-piercing roar that shattered the world around me.


    <hr>


    I shot up and looked panicked around me. I slowly relaxed once I realised that I was back. It was still dark, so I probably hadn''t been out for long. I sighed in relief and sat back down. Had that all been my imagination? Wow, I really needed to relieve some stress. Lightly chuckling I lifted my arm and froze.


    Before me was my scale-covered claw. Claws. I remembered the claws that had covered the monster''s body. Black and covered in scales. I chuckled, this time a lot more forced. ¡°So, that was where I took my inspiration from.¡± My claw shuddered as if to signal no. A shake that I didn¡¯t cause. Now was the time to panic.


    No, that couldn¡¯t be my reaction to everything, no matter how disturbing it was. I needed to stay calm and think. What was that monster? What did it want? I shuddered. That was a question I could answer: It wanted to eat me. Luckily, I woke up before it could do that. Wait, why did I wake up? Suddenly I remembered. The screams. Had that just been my imagination? Suddenly, I realised that it was completely quiet. No footsteps, no talking, nothing. I slowly stood up and turned to the hill separating me from the two-legs.


    Something was very wrong. Slowly, I snuck up the hill, trying my best to not make a sound. When I reached the top, I was greeted by a disturbing sight.


    The camp of the two-legs had been completely destroyed. All of the constructions had either been torn or cut apart, with a few even showing black marks. A dark smoke filled the air. The bodies of the two-legs littered the place, with blood leaking out of stab wounds and tainting the ground scarlet red. Their faces were distorted into masks of agony and fear.


    Suddenly, a wave of nausea hit me and I leaned over to heave. But there was nothing in my body to expel, so only spit came out. I took another look at the bodies and heaved again. Why? I knew of the concept of death but seeing others who had just moments ago been full of life, now cold and empty made me sick to my core. The living world was more merciless than I had thought.


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    I slowly made my way through the carnage, making sure that I didn''t step into anything. What had happened? When I had last seen the camp, everything had been alright. I bent over and grabbed a spiked staff that one of the guardians had used. The top had turned red from the blood that it had spilled. It looked deadly. I inspected the staff and made a few practise swings and jabs with it. Whatever created this slaughter, I definitely didn''t want to meet it defenceless.


    I continued walking, with the staff at the ready and inspected the rest of the camp. Some of the corpses had thin wooden bolts, with a feathered top, sticking out of them. I tried to pull one of them out of a body, trying my best not to look at the corpse. It took considerable strength, physically and mentally, to pull the bolt out and after doing it I realised why. On the other end of the bolt was a grey spike, similar to the one on my staff. I threw it to the side. Whatever had done this must have had incredible strength to lodge it so deep into a body.


    Suddenly, I heard a sound behind me. I spun around, staff at the ready, and went into a crouch. The sound had been a mix between a groan and a whimper. It sounded like someone was on their deathbed. Forgetting all caution, I quickly made my way back into the camp. Whoever had made the sound was in pain but still alive. Maybe I could help, while also getting some answers to my questions.


    "Hello? Where are you?" I called out, abandoning the idea of stealth. Another groan answered me, this time a bit closer. I stepped between the broken constructions in the direction of the sound. Rounding a corner, I finally saw the source of the groans. It was one of the guardian two-legs, leaning against a wooden pole. A gaping wound covered their stomach, most likely caused by a sharp blood-covered blade laying next to them. Blood was pouring through the wound and despite my lack of knowledge about the inner structure of creatures, I knew that the two-leg would soon bleed out. A vision came and went, bringing with it grisly images of wounds but also possible solutions to fix them. Firstly, I needed to cover it.


    I quickly examined the area around me to find something that would do the job. My eyes landed on one of the constructions where the two-legs had slept. I practically sprinted across the camp and ripped off a decently sized piece of fabric.


    After returning, I knelt beside the two-leg and started warping up the wound. ¡°This is going to hurt,¡± I muttered, not knowing if they were conscious or not. To get the best results, the bandage needed to be tight. I tried my best but the blood wouldn¡¯t stop coming. Dam it, I would not let another one die! I was so close to finally being able to talk with someone and the world was trying to take them away from me.


    But no matter what I did, blood still streamed out of the wound soaking the fabric in red. The two-leg had stopped moving entirely and was now laying still on the ground. I pushed the bandage tightly around the wound and stared intently at it. ¡°Stop bleeding, stop bleeding, Stop BLEEDING DAM IT!" I muttered, becoming louder and louder, fuelled by my desperation. I didn''t know what caused me to be so emotional, but I wasn''t about to let this living being die.


    Suddenly, the claw that was pushed against the wound started to glow in a strange light and an overwhelming dizziness threatened to overwhelm me. Nonetheless, I continued my efforts. After a while, the dizziness was too much to bear and I fell backward. I had done everything I could. Now it was up to whatever made the decisions on life and death in this world.


    I just lay there for a while, hoping that my effort was enough, yet dreading to take a look. After a couple of moments, I overcame my apprehension and leaned forward to look at my work. The two-leg still lay there, motionless. The bandage was blood-soaked, but it didn''t look like there was any blood leaking from the wound. I blinked. Was that a trick of my imagination or was that same light that had covered my claw now on the wound? No, that was just my imagination. But now I needed to test if my efforts had succeeded. I slowly lifted my hand to their face to check for breathing. One moment passed. Another one.


    There! I could feel it! The two-leg was breathing, admittedly shallowly, but still, they were breathing! I wasn''t sure if they would survive but the fact that they weren¡¯t dead was a wonder. My mouth formed into a smile.


    I had saved someone. The feeling of accomplishment. The feeling of having changed something for the better. It felt great.

 A new Friend

    After the breathing of the two-leg had stabilised, I decided to look for anything useful that had survived the destruction of the camp. As I walked through the camp, I started to notice a few things that seemed off. Firstly, the wounds inflicted on the two-legs weren¡¯t natural. They were too clean to have come from claws and none of the bodies were eaten. My gaze wandered to a staff laying on the ground. The wounds looked a lot like they could have come from the weapons the two-legs had been carrying. That meant, that whatever or whoever had killed them could wield these items. But why did it kill them? My previous assumption of requiring food obviously wasn¡¯t true.


    Secondly, the six-legs were missing. The poles that they had been tied to were still there, but all the creatures had disappeared. That probably meant that they had either escaped or the attacker (or attackers) had taken them. Maybe the six-legs were food? I strolled over, hoping to find a clue to where they had disappeared, and was immediately rewarded for my efforts. The ground inside the camp had been a complete mess of footprints, but here, on the camp''s outskirts, you could see signs of multiple creatures leaving.


    There were two kinds of footprints. The first was from the six-legs, easily identifiable since I had followed them for an entire day. The second ones, also weren''t new to me. Two-legs¡¯ footprints. Both types of footprints led straight onward and disappeared in the distance. I turned around and went back into the camp. Knowing where the attackers had gone was good, but it wouldn''t help me right now.


    I started rummaging in the remains of the camp and in the end found a couple of things. After returning to my patient, I started inspecting them. There were three flasks with tops that could be screwed off, revealing a transparent liquid. Interesting. What harm could there be in trying some mystery liquid?


    Pain. Burning. It''s eating into my hand. No matter how hard I try, it doesn¡¯t come off. A monotone voice calls out but I can¡¯t understand its words.


    Trying that would be very stupid. A shiver crawls through me. My inner voice and the vision reminded me again that carelessness would get me killed. Before trying any of the liquid, I dripped a couple of drops onto a piece of fabric. It didn¡¯t dissolve. Next, I tried a couple of drops on one of the corpses, hoping that its owner would forgive me. Nothing. Only then did I put a couple of drops on my skin. They felt cool and refreshing against the heat.


    Then there was a bag, about as big as my torso, that I had found beneath a broken construction. It contained two red vials, two green vials, one black vial, two leather-bound books, another flask, a smaller bag containing several stripes of brown material, a piece of rope, a sharp curved piece of metal, a brown ring with engravings, and four blue orbs about as big as an eyeball.


    All in all, pretty impressive haul, even if I had no idea what half of it was. I was tempted to see what the red, green, and black liquids did, but didn''t want to waste any. I opened one of the books but closed it again when I couldn¡¯t understand any of it. My sorting was interrupted by a coughing fit.


    I quickly turned towards the two-leg and saw that they were finally moving. I quickly got up and went over to the pole their feeble body was lying against and crouched down. ¡°Hello, can you hear me?" I asked. The two-leg flinched at the sound of my voice and slowly opened their eyes to look at me. After rapidly blinking, their face went through a mix of emotions, before finally settling on something.


    My ability to read emotions was almost non-existent but I was certain that there was some measure of resignation in them. The two-leg opened their mouth but only a dry cough escaped. They tried to speak several times, but the words wouldn¡¯t come out. ¡°Everything alright? Can you understand me?¡± I asked, very concerned. The two-leg ignored me and looked at their surroundings. Spotting the pile of flasks, they lifted a shaking arm and pointed in its direction.


    ¡°Do you want this?" I asked while picking one of them up. A nod confirmed my suspicion. Gently placing it into their hand, I helped them pour the contents into their mouth. When half of it was empty, they finally stopped and put it back down. When the two-leg finally spoke it was in a shaky voice, one filled with sadness and regret.


    ¡°I never expected to die like this. Killed by bandits. A cruel yet fitting fate.¡± They chuckled without joy and looked at me. Apparently, there was something strange about my face, because they frowned in confusion. ¡°You look a lot different from your descriptions in the Holy Scriptures.¡± This confusion was mirrored on my face. ¡°I think you''re confusing me with someone else,¡± I responded.


    The look of confusion that spread across the two leg¡¯s face was almost funny. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the Collector, here to take my mortal soul and deliver it to the Judges?¡± I shook my head in denial. Now the two-leg truly started inspecting their surroundings and what they saw was bleak yet familiar.


    ¡°It seems like I¡¯m still alive,¡± they stated while clutching something around their neck. ¡°Those bastards failed to kill me.¡± When they let go, I noted a necklace with a strange symbol. The two-leg¡¯s attention returned to me and I could feel their questioning gaze. ¡°If you are not the Collector, then who are you?¡± A simple question, with a difficult answer. An answer that even I didn¡¯t know.¡°Let¡¯s worry about that later,¡± I deflected. The two-leg grunted but let it pass. Their eyes widened a bit at the sight of my clawed hand but quickly returned to normal.


    Grateful to have dodged the question, I instead inspected their wound. ¡°Before we do anything else, we need to fix your injury. I did my best, but I am no expert.¡± I gave them an apologetic shrug. My experience of exactly nothing probably made me one of the worse beings to take care of someone hurt.


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    My statement seemed to bring the pain into focus, as the next thing they did was wince. I was impressed that the pain hadn¡¯t registered until now. Falling on my back hurt and I couldn¡¯t even imagine how having a hole in your stomach would hurt. However, the two-leg had a solution and pointed to my pile of various items. ¡°Could you hand me one of the healing potions? The red ones" I quickly gave them the red vile, which they proceeded to empty. It took a while for the effects to start showing but when they did it was impressive. It looked like the two-leg¡¯s skin had a mind of its own, moving and quickly fixing all visible cuts and bruises. A sigh of relief escaped them. With that, they stood up on shaking legs and turned towards me.


    ¡°I should probably introduce myself. My name is Pecta and I am grateful for you saving me. What may I call you?¡± The fact that they were talking, much less standing, was a miracle Was that the effect of a healing potion? Of course you idiot. As for the two- no, Pecta¡¯s question¡­ ¡°Well, it is nice to meet you, especially because you aren¡¯t trying to end me. As for a name, I don¡¯t have one. Call me whatever you want.¡± The concept of names had been foreign to me but when they had introduced themselves, something clicked. It didn¡¯t hold any importance to me but I understood what it was.


    Suddenly Pecta swayed and would have fallen If I hadn¡¯t caught them. Apparently, the effects of a healing potion weren¡¯t as miraculous as they had seemed at first. To avoid any further problems, we both sat down in the warm sand. My head was still filled with questions and now I was ready to unleash them. The first question I asked was, what a two-leg was.


    Pecta frowned at that. ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t know what a human is, stranger?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, the only living creatures I know are the hole-monster and Clicks. Friendly warning, don¡¯t mess with Clicks. They will swarm and bite you with their stupid little mandibles.¡± Clicks had left a lasting impression on me.


    After Pecta explained that he was a male human, I tried to ask another question but he stopped me. ¡°I am grateful that you saved me but before you ask anything else I need to confirm something. Is there anyone else alive?¡± I expected a sad reaction to the tragic news but instead, he brushed it off and continued. ¡°Is there anything useful that survived the bandit attack? And where did you get such a high-class healing potion?¡±


    When I explained to him that I found it all in a bag he frowned and went to inspect the pile. I was a bit annoyed that he wasn¡¯t answering my questions but the fact that I had someone to talk to made it all worth it. When I walked over to him, he stood motionless with the ring in his hand. I leaned over, interested, and asked, ¡°Do you know what these inscriptions mean?¡±


    ¡°May divinity fall, and freedom rise,¡± he muttered. Pecta didn¡¯t turn to me but just continued staring at it. Suddenly, he pulled back his arm and threw the ring into the distance. I stared in the direction the ring had flown, not understanding what just happened. ¡°Why did you do that?¡±


    Pecta shuddered. ¡°I don¡¯t know how that thing got here but it is cursed and you shouldn¡¯t go near it.¡± With that, he continued looking through the salvaged items. I was extremely curious about the obvious story behind it but let Pecta have his secret. There were topics I didn¡¯t want to talk about and there were topics he didn¡¯t want to talk about.


    When Pecta got to the dagger he stared at it for a while. I expected it to get the same treatment as the ring but the human just put it back down and continued searching. When he was finished, he stood back up with a downcast expression. ¡°Is this everything you found? No additional food or water?¡±


    At my answer, Pecta sighed and let himself fall backwards into the sand. I winced, as I knew from experience that that wasn¡¯t completely pain-free. ¡°Everything okay?¡± I tentatively asked. ¡°No,¡± was the answer I got. Before I could ask for clarification, Pecta explained. ¡°There are four flasks of water and one bag of dried meat. The nearest city is at least a week''s travel away. I am no genius but that doesn¡¯t sound survivable. Not to mention, the countless other dangers, like whiteswarms, sandworms, and bandits.¡± A sigh escaped his lips. ¡°Thank you for saving me but it seems to have been for naught. Or do you have a secret stash? Wait, how do you survive in the desert without water.¡± I shrug. ¡°Don¡¯t need it.¡±


    Pecta laughed at the irony. ¡°Well, better get going. If you would be so kind, leave the poison here. I don¡¯t know how it got here but I pray to Persa that it¡¯s one of the painless kind.¡± I looked at the green and black vial and shuddered. So that¡¯s what it was. Still, even if my new companion thought it was hopeless, I wouldn¡¯t let him throw his life away.


    ¡°Come on, I am sure that we will find a solution. If you just give up, then everything you worked for in life will be for nothing. You can have all the water and I even know where the bandits, whatever they are, went, so there is no chance of us meeting them.¡±


    ¡°Everything I ever worked for will be for nothing?¡± Pecta bitterly asked. ¡°That would probably be an improvement. And no, even then it wouldn¡¯t work. There isn¡¯t enough water.¡± I thought very hard but my mind was coming up blank. ¡°What if we ask the bandits nicely for water?¡± I was just throwing ideas out there but this one seemed to affect Pecta. He stood back up and thoughtfully stared into the distance. ¡°That could work,¡± he begrudgingly stated. ¡°Asking them for water?¡± I asked. I didn¡¯t know what bandits were but I didn¡¯t think that creatures who would kill others would be willing to give free water. ¡°No, not ask,¡± Pecta corrected. ¡°Take would be a more appropriate word.¡± I shifted uncomfortably. ¡°That does not sound very nice.¡± My former patient just stared at me before pointing at the carnage surrounding us. ¡°Fair point,¡± I conceded.


    <hr>


    Abnar watched as the two mortals got up and started walking. With a mental command, the view focused on the abomination. Watching it use its powers to heal the human had brought up ancient memories. ¡°That power is dangerous,¡± Rashyta stated from next to him. Abnar ignored the Goddess of Justice and kept studying the orb.


    Thousands of years had passed but the memories were still fresh. He rarely doubted himself but now he was starting to worry if letting it live was more detrimental than beneficial to him. His daughter spared a look at the orb. Her face twisted into a sneer of disgust. "So that abomination has met one of the false worshipers. Why doesn''t that surprise me? Those two wretched mortals fit together." "Former false worshiper," Abnar correct her offhandedly. "He now follows your sister.¡± Rashyta made a face as if she had eaten something sour. "That''s why I don''t like her. She is too forgiving and some people just don''t deserve it." She continued rambling, but Abnar wasn''t listening anymore. His eyes were focused on the abomination. He would let it live until it had served its purpose. After that it would be too risky to keep alive and he would dispose of it.

 The Wonderful World of Monsters

    ¡°Mhh this is delicious,¡± I mumbled while chewing down the dried meat. According to Pecta, these strips of dried bobar meat were very common travel rations and tasted like absolutely nothing. Maybe human biology was different from my own, because these treats tasted like they had been created by the world itself, to fill an aching hunger I hadn¡¯t know I possessed.


    This was one of the many pleasant aspects of traveling with another living being. My loneliness had magically disappeared and I was gaining more information than I had ever dreamed of. The thought of just leaving him and going straight to the nearest city had never even occurred to me. Sure, it would probably be safer but it would also require me to leave the first sentient creature I had come across to die. A voice inside of me told me to just abandon him but I shut it up. No way.


    After packing everything up, Pecta had asked me to wear something called "clothing". Apparently, human society was very sensitive about showing skin or scales and required one to wear the garment I had observed the other humans wearing. He gave me a whole assortment of different clothing and showed me how to put them on.


    There was a slightly blood covered cloak and shirt, pants that started of too long before I cut them, and a belt that looked like a piece of string. He also gave me a brown chest piece that I could wear beneath my cloak. It was called armor, meant to protect its owner, which made me question the fate of the previous wearer. The holes and cuts that littered it told the story of a brutal struggle.


    We also took a couple of weapons, even though I really hoped we wouldn¡¯t need them. The staff I had been holding was called a "spear" and it was used to stab stuff. I also took the curved blade I had found, which was called a "dagger". The blade was black, with green streaks running from tip to bottom looking like veins. The hilt had three blue crystals embedded into it and strange script that looked a lot like the one on the ring. The thought of asking Pecta about its meaning was quickly discarded after considering his reaction to the scriptures on the ring. Maybe I would do it later but right now I didn¡¯t want to upset my traveling companion. Nonetheless, he gave me a strange look after picking the dagger but didn¡¯t comment further.


    Pecta was a treasure trove of information and during the trip, he explained a few interesting things to me. This desert was called the Scorching Barrens and it was part of the human kingdom of Sanktrum, ruled by Idina the Third. Pecta¡¯s way of speaking about her made me think that he wasn¡¯t a big fan.


    Speaking of Pecta, the reason he was in this ¡°hellish place¡± was because he had needed money, which led him to be employed as a guard for a trading caravan. A decision he would come to regret. However, despite the horrible situation he was in, his mood kept improving. He started to become more open and put real emotions into the words he said. Looks like giving someone a chance at survival cheers them up. Who could have guessed?


    But let''s stop talking about horrible stuff and appreciate my new love: food. It was a great invention and I was eager to taste more. The water, on the other hand, was refreshing but tasteless. Still, I was eager to see what other nourishment existed in the world. I also asked about the potions that had been in the bag. The red one was a healing potion, the green one poison, and the black one super poison. They had actual names but I disregarded them. When I asked my companion why they were at the camp, he had just shrugged and said he didn¡¯t know.


    Although, I kind off doubted that he was telling the truth. Instead of driving me away, this just made me even more curious. Another cool thing I learned from him were insults. Did you know, that pemerix means,-


    ¡°You shouldn''t eat that much. You can apparently survive without food, but I can''t,¡± Pecta casually stated. I immediately felt guilty and put the half eaten piece of meat back into the bag. Pecta rolled his eyes and asked, ¡°Not to sound rude, but what are you? I never heard of a monster with your features. Also, you can finish that piece.¡± I happily munched down the meat and thought for a moment. What was I?


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    ¡°I don''t know,¡± I honestly answered. ¡°It''s one of the many things I still have to figure out.¡± I had told him about my story in exchange for his information. It wouldn¡¯t be fair if I just took without giving back. However, I didn¡¯t tell him about the beast or my visions. Somehow they felt more personal than the rest.


    ¡°You look human but clearly aren¡¯t,¡± Pecta stated. ¡°My first reaction would be to call you a shapeshifter or a samrax but that obviously isn¡¯t correct. You only have one claw and can¡¯t change shapes.¡± We continued moving as Pecta kept thinking. Meanwhile, I closed my eyes and imagined turning into a human. Nope, I definitely wasn¡¯t a shapeshifter. ¡°Your answers might lie in one of our cities.¡± I stopped and turned towards him. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, we humans have existed for a long time and thus gathered a lot of knowledge. Most of it is horded by the rich and powerful but it¡¯s there.¡± A pause as he thought about what to say next. ¡°I could help you get it.¡± I stared at him, this time in amazement. ¡°You¡¯d do that for me?" He let out a small chuckle. "It''s the least I can do for saving me. I may not be an expert in monster knowledge, but I certainly am an expert in getting into places I shouldn¡¯t be in. So, monsters-¡°


    Tendrils worm towards my head. I try to escape but my hands are tied to the chair. The emotionless tone that I have come to hate sounds out, ¡°Test number 12.1 commencing. Goal of test: testing the defence of ADAM against hostile mental intrusions.¡± The creature moves forward, its tentacles drilling into my body. I try to scream but I can¡¯t. Suddenly everything goes dark.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± I look up to see the concerned face of Pecta staring down at me. I climbed to my feet and dusted myself off. ¡°Yes, everything is fine. Let¡¯s continue.¡± My companion still looks confused but doesn¡¯t question me. The word monsters had triggered that vision, no doubt about it. But why now? The previous times I had thought about monsters, nothing had happened. Then why now?


    Suddenly, I saw something black out of the corner of my vision. I turned and froze. Pecta noticed my sudden stop and looked to check if everything was okay. He stopped moving, also seeing the monster flying in the air. The creature was around the size of my torso and covered in black feathers.


    The word ¡°bird¡± popped into my head but the feathers were where the resemblance ended. Its neck was grossly elongated, with a round head attached to it. The upper half of the head was completely covered with human-looking eyes, that stared into every direction at ones. I couldn''t quite see from my position, but the red tint made it seem like all of them were bloodshot. Then there was the beak, or the place where a beak should be. Instead of a beak, it had a hole leading into its skull that was circled by tentacles. They moved in sporadic bursts, like they were looking for something to grab and pull into the endless depths of the skull.


    I felt myself drawn to it. There was something about it that connected this abomination to me. We came from the same place, I could feel it.


    Pecta was the first to break from his trance. "Shit, shit, shit, what is a deathstalker doing here? By Persa, there should be nothing of interest here. Unless... DON''T FUCKING MOVE!" I froze, with my spear tightly grasped in both hands and whispered, ¡±What is that?" The feeling of closeness had vanished.


    Pecta looked grimly into the sky. ¡°Deathstalker. Vultures that feast on death. Not dangerous themselves, they will merely watch as you die and consume your soul.¡± His cryptic reply gave more questions than answers. "So, why am I not allowed to move?" The deathstalker continued silently watching our conversation. Not even its wing-movement created sound. ¡°You should pray that I''m wrong,¡± Pecta stated, while opening his bag. Before we started our travel we had made another bag out of some silk and distributed everything evenly.


    He took out the now empty vile that had contained the healing liquid and threw it as far away as possible. The vile hit the ground with a silent thud, but didn''t break. I was about to ask him why he had done that, but was interrupted when the ground started shaking.


    Suddenly, an enormous creature broke through the ground where the vile had been, spraying bits of sand everywhere. I was tempted to take a step back, but remained motionless out of instinct. The creature consisted of a string-like body, twice as thick as a humans one, with brown scales cowering everything. Its "face" was a singular round mouth with teeth surrounding the inside that continuously moved in circles, giving it a hypnotic look. It faced us and if it had eyes then they would have pierced us with their gaze. The silence was only broken by the crunching of the vile, that was now being effortlessly shredded by the creature¡¯s teeth.After what felt like an eternity, it sunk back into the ground returning from where it had come from. Still, I couldn''t bring myself to move.


    Pecta was the first to break the silence. "That my friend, is one of the reasons why no sane person would willingly traverse this god-forsaken desert.¡±

 The fishing Game

    "What was that?" I asked, trying my hardest not to scream. ¡°It''s called a ¡®sandworm¡¯ and really fucking dangerous. Luckily for us, it can''t see and relies on the vibrations of the sand,¡± answered Pecta tersely. ¡°We are still near the usual route of the caravans, which is normally free from any major monsters. For one to have their hunting ground here means that we are really unlucky.¡±


    My sigh of resignation was tinged with frustration. ¡°Of course, there''s one here. Why wouldn''t there be? I have spent little time in this world and have already met enough monsters for a lifetime.¡±


    I was a bit mad at the insanity of it all. Yes, I was happy to be alive, as it beat the raging river of darkness and pain that waited on the other side, but the world didn¡¯t make my life easy. I understood that there were inherent dangers that came with living but this creature wasn''t fair. The sandworm had come out of nowhere and would have gobbled up any unsuspecting prey. It slowly dawned on me that life wasn¡¯t fair. Nothing is fair. No matter how hard you try, in the end, everything disappears.


    "Well, to be honest, we were lucky, since the deathstalker showed up. They normally appear when a lot of people are about to die, like in a battle. It is said, that they consume the souls of the fallen.¡± Pecta shrugged. ¡°No idea if that¡¯s true or just a myth made up by drunkards. A bit weird that one would show up for only two souls, but I''m not complaining. I give my thanks to Persa or any other god who showed us mercy with this act.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t argue with his argument and slowly started to let go of my anger as information was fed to me. ¡°Who is this Persa you keep talking about?¡± I asked, very curious to hear my companion''s answer. He rolled his eyes but I could see a small smile forming at the corner of his mouth. ¡°Your curiosity knows no bounds. But sure, let me enlighten you. Persa is a goddess, one of the many we humans worship. And before you ask, gods are divine beings that control the fate of the world. But enough with the distractions, we need to think of some solutions. Remember, we¡¯re on the clock.¡± I would have loved to ask him more about these gods but realised that now wasn¡¯t the time. ¡°What do you know about sandworms?¡±


    ¡°I wasn''t born near the desert, but after taking this job I asked around what kind of shit awaited me in the Scorching Barrens. Sandworms were at the top of that list. So, lucky for us, I know a bit about them. They are very territorial, which means that there is probably only one. Worst case scenario, this one has a female partner. I also know that they have a specific area marked as their territory and they won''t leave that area, even if some tasty humans, or whatever you are, are outside it."


    That made me hopeful. "So it could be that we¡¯re at the edge of its territory and safe?" My companion shook his head. ¡°Unlikely. Sandworms usually wait until their prey is in the middle of their territory before attacking. If we want to survive, we can''t just run and rely on chance.¡± I contemplated what he said before getting an idea. ¡°How about the gods? Surely they can help us out.¡± Pecta cringed at my ignorance before explaining that they only guided mortals, not directly helping them. There were people called Chosen who got the god¡¯s blessings but they were rare.¡°No, what we need is something to distract it with,¡± he stated. ¡°What do we have that could be thrown?"


    We both rummaged through our bags, with limited results. The orbs and the meat wouldn¡¯t work, since they were too light for the sandworm to care about. What we were left with, were the 3 vials, four flasks of water (one was empty), and two books. ¡°Wait, will that work?¡± I asked as it dawned on me what Pecta was planning. ¡°The monster can¡¯t be that dumb to fall for this.¡± My companion brushed away my concern. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it works. I have heard stories from the veteran guards that used this tactic. Sandworms are stupid.¡± And so it was decided.


    The plan was simple. We would start running until the sandworm got close, before throwing something to distract it. We had three throwable objects (Two books and one empty flask) and a rope with which to reel them back in. Reeling duty was given to Pecta, with his job being to move the bait away before the sandworm emerged so that it wasn¡¯t swallowed.


    I was nervous. If this went wrong we would both die. My life would have been so short and there would be no one to remember me. Pecta said something with a smile, probably something to encourage me, but I wasn''t listening. A couple of moments passed before he gave the signal and we started running.


    The ground immediately began to shake and I could feel the deathstalkers eager gaze drilling into my back. I risked a glance backward and almost stopped. The sand behind us had started to bulge like something fast was moving just beneath the surface. We suddenly stopped and Pecta threw the books that had been tied to the rope. I held my breath as the book landed on the ground, splattering sand all around it. We would die if this didn''t work.


    I was filled with relief as the sandworm changed its course toward the bait. Anything with half a brain cell would have seen through our trick, but this creature was a mindless monster. A pull from Pecta and the book flew out of the sandworm¡¯s path. When the creature emerged, we started running again.


    At first, the strategy seemed to work but soon the first problems started to show. When Pecta pulled on the rope, the book ripped off and was consumed by the monster. We shared a worried look before tying the second book to the rope, making sure to do it extra tight. The next mistake happened shortly after.


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    Pecta was too slow, which meant that the sandworm ate the book with the rope still attached. He would have been pulled into the creature¡¯s maw if he hadn¡¯t let go. Now, without a rope, we were in big trouble. Everything that we threw would be lost forever. ¡°Let''s hope that the end of its territory isn''t far away,¡± Pecta stated while picking up the empty water flask. Soon we would have to use our supply of full flasks. This wasn''t good. ¡°Wait," I interrupted. "There has to be another way."


    He looked at me and asked, "Do you have a plan? I''m open to suggestions." I slowly looked over our remaining supplies. "Do you know what the blue orbs are?" He just shrugged. ¡°I have no idea. Maybe some kind of weird pearls, although, I don¡¯t know how that would fit with the rest of the items you found.¡± That was true. All of the other things were meant for survival or killing others. The poison in our bag still made me queasy. Poison¡­


    ¡°How strong is that poison?¡± I asked, both excited and reviled at my idea. Pecta looked at me strangely before a smile of realisation spread across his face. ¡°Well, the green Heartache poison is strong enough to kill a grown man in a couple of minutes. I don¡¯t have a lot of experience with Wicked Tears but from what I heard, it is way stronger.¡±


    The question of how Pecta knew so much about poisons entered my mind but I disregarded it. Maybe this knowledge was common in human society. But this was good. From what he said, my plan could work. Deftly I pulled out the vials and poured them all into the empty flask. I smelled a whiff of it and crunched up my nose. Truly fitting for something that would take a life. Even if that life was trying to kill us and acted almost mindlessly, I still felt bad. But it had to be done, to preserve my own and Pect¡¯s life.


    We started running until the sound of the sandworm pursuing us rose to a deafening roar. A stop, followed by a throw from Pecta. Like all the other times, the sandworm burst through the ground and devoured the flask. The familiar sound of crunching filled the air and it slid back into the sand. "And now we play the waiting game,¡± Pecta gleefully said. Taking a life didn¡¯t seem to faze him. The time stretched on.


    "So... since we have a bit of time to kill, could you tell me more about you humans? You have all this great stuff (food), so how is your life?" A long sigh left him. "So you want to know about our ¡®wonderful¡¯ society?¡± That last part didn''t sound sincere. ¡°Well for us humans birth is a game of luck,¡± he started. ¡°It all depends on where you are born. You could be born as the child of a rich nobleman or a high member of the clergy and your life would be set. But most people don''t get that and are born into the middle or lower class of society. And if a miracle doesn''t occur you will stay there. You will stay in the shithole you were born in and bite the bucket because you couldn''t afford food. Or a monster rips your head off. Depends on what gets you first. Nobles control everything. And what do they do with their power? Do they help us, normal people?"


    This was a completely new side to Pecta, one that I hadn¡¯t witnessed before. He spoke with such hate and vitriol that it was tough to believe that this was the same person. ¡°No, they don''t do anything!¡± He continued his rant. ¡°They just laugh and kick you into the dirt. The only real way to live a decent life as a lower class is to join the Creator¡¯s Church, which will promise to solve all your problems for the low low price of your soul. Or you could become a criminal. Look at the bandits that killed my companions. They probably became murderous assholes because the system kicked them one too many times. That is how our goddam society works. And I should probably stop at this point before I start screaming for an hour about this unfairness," Pecta ended with a forced chuckle. ¡°Sorry, for ruining your expectation of human society. We aren¡¯t monsters but sometimes it feels like it.¡±


    In my short time knowing him, I had never seen him talk so passionately about something. Human society had to be very flawed, for him to give an entire speech like that. I was just about to say something when the ground started shaking.


    The sandworm burst forth and started violently convulsing, spraying sand everywhere. With its last remaining energy, the monster tried to dig back into the earth but only managed halfway before coming to a rest. "That was a great idea,¡± Pecta exclaimed before letting out a laugh of relief. ¡°If we had enough time I would suggest skinning it. Sandworm scales sell for a lot. But sadly we need to get moving.¡±


    Before he could take a step the sand started shaking. A sandworm, twice as large as the previous one, stretched its head toward the sky, letting out a primal roar. At the same time, the ground began to broil, seemingly trying to suck us in. Pecta took one look at the sandworm, said nope, and started running. I quickly followed, not very eager to test the monster¡¯s jaw. It roared one final time before disappearing into the ground and giving chase. I didn''t dare to look behind me and only concentrated on what was before me.


    Pecta was still in front of me but I slowly started gaining on him, before passing him. I could hear the sound of Pecta¡¯s gasping mix with the horrible noise of sand being thrown apart. The sand started sticking to my feet and slowed me down. The sandworm was quickly catching up and our only option was to run faster. In a fight, we would stand no chance, especially since I had dropped my spear in favour of running faster. As I ran, I suddenly noticed that a couple of steps in front of me, the broiling sand transitioned seamlessly into normal sand. That had to be the edge of its territory.


    With a final sprint, I threw myself onto the ground and rolled into the normal area. There I stopped moving and just lay there. If I was wrong and this was still the sandworm¡¯s territory then I would be dead. A thud from next to me made me flinch. I waited a moment but nothing happened. I took a cautious look behind me, but there was no sign of the monster. Even the sand was starting to turn dormant again.


    Checking next to me showed, that the thud had been Pecta. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that he was alright. Falling back into the sand, I stared up at the sky. It was almost night, with the glowing disc almost disappearing behind a distant sand hill. The deathstalker had disappeared to who knows where. My heart was still beating like crazy and I couldn¡¯t stop the smile that spread on my face. Despite the danger, or because of it, the sprint had felt exhilarating.

 The first Kill

    May the light shine upon my crooked soul.


    May the light shine a way for me.


    A way to leave my broken promise.


    A way to leave my rotten past.


    A path to redemption lies before me.


    A path pathed with pain and anguish.


    One laid before me by the goddess.


    Her kindness guides my soul.


    Through the path of sorrow I walk.


    Leaving behind the withered fields.


    For those who believe, a second chance awaits.


    Prayer to the goddess Persa


    It was the middle of the night when we finally arrived at the bandit camp. It all started with us spotting an orange glimmer in the distance. Instinctively we stayed low to the ground, to avoid being seen. The glimmer became brighter and brighter until we were able to make out silhouettes in its vicinity. We had to be very careful, as the white sky disk gave off just enough light, for people to see us in the darkness. From what Pecta had told me about bandits, that would be bad.


    We stopped on a small hill and observed the camp. It looked very similar to the caravan camp but much larger. It had the constructions humans used to sleep in but they had been built at seemingly random places, with one larger one sticking out of the middle of the camp. A large array of humans doing menial work could be seen in the light of the various fires. Pecta¡¯s caravan had used a blessed artifact for lighting but the bandits didn¡¯t have that luxury. A couple of them were stationed around the camp and kept watch. Most of these guards looked like they were about to fall over from boredom, and who could blame them? There was nothing out here that could cause problems. Most monsters kept to their territory and those that didn¡¯t wouldn¡¯t attack such a large gathering of humans. The chances of trouble were very low. A smile spread across my face. They won¡¯t be thinking that for long. A quick scan of the surrounding showed that the lamecs, previously known as six-legs, were held at the edge of the camp, with a couple of bandits stationed there. I was able to count 12 lamecs, but it was dark, so that number probably wasn''t very accurate.


    I almost jumped when Pecta suddenly touched my shoulder. He made a motion, indicating that we had seen enough, and turned around. We crawled to a spot where it was safe to whisper and exchanged plans.


    ¡°Our main priority should be food and water. Maybe even a lamec if we have time. One of them would greatly increase our chances of getting away.¡± I nodded in agreement, surprised at how calm Pecta was about this. The bandits had killed his companions and I had expected him to want revenge. That he prioritised living over revenge made me very glad. His next words didn¡¯t. ¡°The bandits that protect the lamecs will be a problem. If they alert the others, we''re screwed. We need to kill or subdue them.¡± I stared at him before hissing, ¡°Kill!? Are you serious? We can¡¯t just go around and kill other sentient beings!¡± Pecta looked at me seriously before pointing to the bandit camp. ¡°These ¡®sentient beings¡¯ have slaughtered countless innocent people and will continue to do so. If we even kill one of them, we¡¯d be doing the world a favour. But if you can¡¯t do it, then I will.¡± With this, he turned around and quietly moved back to the camp. I reluctantly followed. Ending someone¡¯s life, no manner how bad of a person they were, sickened me. They deserve it. But I could understand where Pecta was coming from. Was it really that bad to rid the world of someone who only caused harm? My immediate answer was yes, but I tried to suppress it. I would need all my nerves for what was about to happen.


    During our time away, the camp had gotten louder, with voices filling the air. A quick look showed that one bandit had taken out an item that produced sounds whenever his fingers touched it. To me it sounded like the user was producing random noises, but the other bandits seemed to like it and started loudly shouting something in unison. It felt weird hearing all that laughter coming from people who had probably murdered countless times.


    We stopped in front of the "lamec zone", as we had nicknamed it. The area was illuminated by several wooden sticks placed in the sand, with their black tops engulfed by fire. Three humans were sitting in the sand around a box and playing some kind of card game. Their weapons, three short swords, lay next to them. That was bad. If we rushed them they would have enough time to call for help and there was no way we were ready to fight the entire camp. I was debating what to do when suddenly one of the bandits got up. "Gotta take a quick leak. Make sure that Cai doesn''t look at my cards." The mentioned Cai started to protest but the human ignored him and walked in our direction. We both quickly got out of the way, as he moved out of the light zone and behind a dune. His lack of caution truly showed how irresponsible they were, as he hadn¡¯t even taken his weapon with him. Still, I didn''t know what to do. Should I attack him? Follow him? Pecta decided for me and started approaching him. I could make out the bandit standing with his back turned to us and with his pants down. The criminal was humming quietly, so he didn''t hear how Pecta sneaked up behind him and started to raise his dagger. Since when did Pecta have a dagger? I didn''t dare take a breath as Pecta jumped forward, placed one hand over the bandit¡¯s mouth, and sliced his throat. The muffled cry was drowned out by the singing from the camp.


    With one last twitch, the body stopped moving and Pecta slowly placed it on the ground. TWO LEFT. He turned to me and slowly walked past, the bloody blade still in hand. He was shaking, revealing that it hadn¡¯t been as easy as he had claimed. With one last look at the body, I followed him back to the camp. There we waited. Finally, another bandit stood up and looked toward where their companion had disappeared to. "What the hell is taking him so long?" The third bandit looked up from his cards. ¡°Probably a big shit.¡± When that didn¡¯t calm his friend he rolled his eyes. ¡°Relax, it hasn¡¯t been that long since Ocin went to piss. Why are you so nervous anyway? Don¡¯t tell me you''re still scared of the dark.¡± The second bandit stopped walking and glared at his partner. ¡°Shut up. This area of the Scorching Barrens just gives me the creeps. Strange shit happens here. I¡¯m talking about caravans disappearing without a trace, and weird, otherworldly monsters showing up. And honestly, our new boss is just as creepy. Mages are usually weird but I''m telling you, there''s something especially wrong with this guy." Pecta tensed up next to me. I wanted to ask him what a mage was but knew that now wasn¡¯t the time.


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    "You know what? I''m going to look for Ocin. He has been away for too long." The sitting bandit just shrugged and returned to staring at his cards. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you two are doing, just keep it private and make sure that the boss doesn¡¯t find you slacking.¡± The worried bandit gave his partner a rude hand gesture before picking up his sword and making his way into the darkness. The muscles in the back of my neck started to tense up when I realised that this was going to be harder. This one was armed and wary of his surroundings. I was about to try and sneak up behind him when Pecta stood up from his crouched position and calmly walked towards the bandit. The bandit noticed him and brought his sword into a ready position. I was about to do something drastic when the bandit lowered it again. "Hey Ocin, had a good piss? Cai was being a scaredy-cat and I just couldn''t take it anymore. He told me how worried he was about you and that he hoped nothing had happened to you.¡± The darkness, coupled with the fact that Pecta and the missing Ocin shared a body type, made for the perfect ruse. A ruse that wouldn¡¯t hold long. I quickly circled the bandit to get around him and help my companion. Apparently, I wasn''t the quietest, because he spun around, sword in hand, and attempted to swing at me. Pecta launched himself towards him as the sword swished a hair¡¯s breadth past my throat, sparing me from a painful decapitation. With reflexes kicking in a bit too late, I tumbled backward and landed on my ass with a thud. While I did that Pecta had grabbed the bandit¡¯s head and was holding him at knifepoint.


    I was ready for the blood to start flowing, but it didn''t come. Instead, Pecta talked. "If you make a noise I will kill you, understood?" The bandit made a whimpering noise but slowly nodded his head. ¡°Why are you working for a heretic?¡± Pecta slowly released the man¡¯s mouth. When the bandit tried to deny the accusation, the dagger started to draw blood. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. Who is this mage you are working for?¡± This was all it took for the bandit to spill his secrets. ¡±I don''t know, ok? He hired me and the others to patrol the Scorching Barrens and raid any caravans we find. There was money involved and I didn¡¯t ask questions. I truly don''t know who he is, but please don''t kill me." The bandit started talking faster. "I don''t know what you want, but I''ll give you anything! Gold? Jewels? Money? I can get it for you. Just please don''t kill me! I have done nothing-¡° ¡°How many people have you killed?¡± The bandit looked confused. ¡°What? I mean, I haven¡¯t killed anybody! I swear it on all the gods, I haven¡¯t done anything bad. I-¡° His words were cut off as Pecta¡¯s blade sliced through his neck. A wet gurgling sound emerged before his body went limp. Even I had heard the lie out of his words. ONE LEFT. "You don''t deserve to live,¡± Pecta whispered under his breath. It looked like he was barely controlling the urge to stab the body a couple of extra times.


    "What the hell is going on there?" A voice called out from the bandit camp. For the second time, we returned to our position near the camp and saw the last bandit standing next to the box, sword in hand, and looking intently into the darkness. It seemed that the last kill hadn''t been as quiet as we had hoped.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± The bandit called out. When nobody answered he silently started to curse. ¡°Is this some kind of joke? Because I am not laughing. Now come out!¡± Silence. The already brittle smile disappeared from his face. The bandit muttered something under his breath as he slowly started moving backward and away from us. This was turning into a disaster and I didn¡¯t know what to do. Suddenly Pecta grabbed my shoulder. I turned towards him, only to be met with a fist to the stomach. I let out a groan, more from surprise than pain. The bandit turned in my direction and called out, ¡°Ocin, is that you?" Pecta crouched down next to me and whispered, "Act as if you were that guy and needed help.¡± Did he have to hit me for that? Although, that wasn¡¯t a bad idea. I started loudly groaning, and voiced my plea for help ¡°Stop shouting and come here! I need your help.¡± My bandit impression wasn''t the best, but the pain distorted my voice, which made it passable. At least good enough to fool his comrade, as the final bandit started carefully advancing. "What happened Ocin?" I slowly rose to my feet, wary to not reveal myself. "I... fell and hurt my foot... Now come and help me!" The bandit grinned and lowered his sword. "How the hell can you be so clumsy!? It''s literally sand and you hurt your foot... By the Creator, wait I''m coming." He started moving towards me in a completely relaxed fashion. Come on, just a bit further! He stopped a couple of steps before the darkness. His eyes squinted, trying to pierce it. "Wait a minute, I''ll just get a torch so I don''t have to waste time searching for you."


    He turned his back to me and walked towards one of the wooden poles that illuminated the area. My body tensed up and I prepared myself to sprint across the clearing. This was it. If he brought back a torch he would realise that I wasn¡¯t who I claimed to be. I took a final deep breath and started running. The bandit turned around and saw a snake-eyed monster with a sharp claw and a dagger barrelling toward him. His breathing almost stopped as he stumbled backward and raised his hand to protect himself. A tearing sound could be heard as the dagger sliced through the flesh, leaving a large gash in his hand. At the same time, the crystals embedded into the dagger started glowing in a faint light. The bandit''s mouth was opened in a scream of pure terror, but no sound escaped. The only sound that could be heard was the air parting for Pecta¡¯s blade and the bandit''s head as it fell into the sand. The rest of the body took one last step backward, not realising that its soul had disappeared, and then collapsed. I only stared at the headless corpse. My face felt warm and when I went to check, my hand returned bloody. Not my blood but the blood of another I had spilled. I leaned over and heaved, expelling everything in my stomach. It felt disgusting but when I looked into the glassy eyes of the bandit I had to vomit again. Pecta meanwhile removed the blood from the blade in one clean motion and sheathed it. His look of sympathy in my direction didn¡¯t go unnoticed, but his face quickly change to reflect the direness of our situation. ¡°Quickly, let us look for supplies and get the hell out of here before the rest notice their missing comrades. Let''s-¡° ¡°How can you be so calm?!¡± My shout was luckily drowned out by the music but Pecta still made sure that no one heard before turning to me. ¡°Not so loud!¡± He hissed. ¡°Do you want to doom us?¡±


    ¡°No, I want to survive this like you!¡± I hissed back. ¡°But how can you have such a disregard for life?! Doesn¡¯t life mean anything to you?¡± Despite the darkness, I could see him roll his eyes. ¡°Of course life means something. Now help me collect supplies.¡± He quickly searched the corpses while I stared at him in disbelief. ¡°This conversation isn¡¯t over! You-¡° ¡°Be quiet!¡± Pecta interrupted me. ¡°I would be glad to have this conversation with you but not now. Now we have to focus on surviving.¡± I silently seethed but had to admit that he had a point. We had to focus on surviving so I started to help him search. Still, that didn¡¯t mean that this conversation was finished.


    ¡°What is a mage?¡± I asked to distract myself. Pecta didn¡¯t look up but answered. ¡°A mage is someone who twists the essence of the world to their whim. A heretic who spits on the god¡¯s work. Most of them live in the Empire so I have no idea how one got here. But if it truly is a mage then our situation has gotten worse. From what I heard, they are very dangerous.¡± I hummed in interest. Someone who twisted the world to their liking. Sounded interesting.


    Pecta finished his looting and turned towards the lamecs, that had been calmly watching us with their big black eyes. "Three water bottles, a couple of coins, and one sack of meat. That won''t be enough." His already tense body language became even tenser. ¡°We need to look for more. In a bandit camp with a mage. Fuck.¡± I slowly nodded, very much understanding his displeasure. "How much do we need?"


    "I''m really bad at math" he started. ¡°But I would assume around six more for this to work.¡±


    "That''s a lot of water."


    "We are in the middle of the hottest desert in the kingdom, of course, we''ll need a lot of water."


    I nodded in understanding. ¡±Don''t worry, we''ll get that water. Even if we have to fight for it, we''ll get it.¡±I wasn¡¯t very happy with him right now but I wouldn¡¯t let him die.


    Pecta chuckled and clapped me on the shoulder. ¡°That''s the spirit!¡± He turned towards the rest of the camp. ¡°Now, let''s do some stealing!¡±

 Magic and Bandits

    Before we could do any kind of further searching we had to get rid of the bodies. A disgusting job, that made me feel dirty, despite only having to drag them into the darkness. We considered covering them with sand but decided that it would waste too much time. Then it was on to the search. For the most part, we stayed in the dimly lit areas, making sure to avoid most of the bandits. On the few occasions we were seen, the humans simply ignored us. Why would they bother two fellow humans who were just out for a midnight stroll? The only real situation arose when a bandit rounded a corner directly in front of us. My breathing tensed and my hand tightened around the hilt of the sword that I had replaced my spear with. Luckily, the human just stumbled past us and mumbled something in a slurred voice. After we were out of earshot I asked Pecta why the bandit had acted so weird. He just shook his head and mumbled something about the dangers of drinking. That lead me to suspiciously eye my water flask before he continued to drag me along.


    Finally, we reached a tent at the edge of the camp where the light couldn''t quite reach. Loud snores were emanating from within. I was very nervous about going into a tent with a bandit, someone who was ready to kill. But it was necessary to find further supplies and Pecta assured me that the criminal was sleeping. Cutting a flap into the back of the tent took a bit since we tried to be as quiet as possible, but soon we had a hole big enough for one of us to crawl in and out. I was the smaller of us two, so that duty went to me. Looking at the hole leading into the tent made me gulp, but nonetheless, I crawled in.


    The first thing that I noticed was the smell. It was a sickly sweet aroma that hit me like a fist. I tried my best not to gasp for fresh air as my eyes adjusted to the dimly lit tent. The light from outside barely pierced the fabric of the structure and illuminated two bodies. They were covered with a blanket, so only their heads were visible. The light was too low to make out any details, except for the fact that one had short hair and the other long. The second figure was also much slimmer than the first. The long-haired individual still looked human but was clearly different. A female human. It was interesting to finally see female representation, but alas it didn''t change what I had to do. Slowly, I made my way to the tent flap, where two brown bags lay. I thought about just taking the water, but in the end, decided to take everything. Who knew what useful items were hidden inside? I grabbed the bags and slowly made my way back to the hole. Suddenly a noise came from the backpack. The items in it hadn''t been properly secured so they had made a clinking sound when bouncing together.


    I stopped dead in my tracks and just waited. The female mumbled something in her sleep and rolled away from the male. I was ready to draw my dagger if she woke up, even if I didn''t want to do it. Luckily she kept sleeping. I stopped myself from releasing a sigh of relief and quickly shuffled out of the tent.


    Pecta ushered me out of earshot and quickly went through the bags. Sadly, there wasn''t anything special in them, but that wasn''t why we were here. He triumphantly pulled out two water flasks and a pouch of food. Then we were off to the next tent. This pattern of sneaking and stealing continued for three more tents, which were thankfully devoid of humans. Most of them were still outside, singing and drinking.


    We were just finishing with the fourth tent when a shout cut through the night. We wiped our heads around to where it was coming from. The lamec area. ¡°Shit" Pecta cursed. ¡°Looks like somebody discovered our dead friends." Calling them friends might be a bit too much but I had to agree that this was bad. I frantically started looking for somewhere to hide, but Pecta was faster and pulled me into the empty tent we had just robbed. Outside the shouting started to get louder. ¡°We can''t stay here forever,¡± Pecta stated. ¡°Once they get organised they''ll start searching around and then we''re screwed." He took a quick peek outside and immediately pulled back. ¡°There''s a commotion by the main tent. They are probably getting their mage boss. Luckily, it''s drawing bandits away from us, so let''s run. We got more supplies, which will hopefully last us to the next city, even if we have to go by foot.¡± ¡°Is there any other way?" I whispered. ¡°We could fight."


    ¡°Sure, we could try, but I don''t favour our chances,¡± Pecta retorted. ¡°Let''s leave before it¡¯s too late.¡± With that, he crawled through the opening and started sneaking in the opposite direction of our murder scene. I quickly followed, not wanting to be left behind. Honestly, even with them having discovered the bodies, this trip had been worth it. We had gotten more supplies, that would hopefully ensure my companion¡¯s survival. I still didn''t condone the murder, having conflicted feelings about it. They were bad people that killed and robbed others, but did it justify ruthlessly killing them? Or maybe I was looking at this wrong. If we hadn¡¯t done it, Pecta would have died. Was this world simply survival of the fittest? Something to think about later. Anyway, almost everything had gone well during this little expedition, so of course something had to go wrong at the end.


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    Suddenly a shout could be heard from behind us, followed by a Whosh, and the sand erupting next to me. Pecta let out a curse and started running, not caring about being seen. I risked a quick look behind me.


    A man wearing a brown cloak with the hood pulled up was standing there, arms outstretched towards us. The air around him started contorting and a transparent arch raced towards us. I was just able to jump away before the ground where I had been standing exploded. It was a beautiful, yet terrifying display of power. With no time to think I scrambled to my feet and started racing after Pecta. Despite his head start I quickly caught up to him. Two more attacks impacted us as we ran into the darkness of the night. After a while, Pecta stopped and dragged me behind a dune. Our breathing was ragged and came out in short bursts. ¡°What was that!?" I blurted out in a more high-pitched tone than I had intended. Pecta was just as shaken. ¡°By all the gods, I have never seen a mage in action and I want this to be the last time I do. Forgive me Persa, for meddling with a heretic.¡± It took a while for him to calm down and even then I could see him shaking. I myself took in a deep breath to relax. ¡°That was way too close for comfort. One hit of that magic and we would have been dead." Pecta nodded. ¡°From what I know, they are the elites of the Empire¡¯s fighting force. Seeing a powerful one in Sanktrum, leading a band of outlaws is fucking scary.¡± He took a peak behind us before starting to move. ¡°Which makes it more imperative that we get the hell out of here.¡± We continued running away from the camp, not knowing if or when pursuers would show up. While running I tried to get more info about mages from Pecta and why they were called heretics.


    ¡°Because they disrupt the natural order of things. As stated in the Book of Revelation: magic is a foul force gifted to humans by the monsters that lurk in the darkness to tempt those with a blighted soul. Any sort of magic is forbidden in Sanktrum and punishable by death.¡± Very harsh. But I knew too little about the subject so I didn¡¯t condemn it immediately. Although, I was curious about the ¡®monsters that lurk in the darkness¡¯.


    Looking into the distance showed that the night was quickly turning into day. Did we escape unscathed or would the bandits come for us? I had a sneaking suspicion that I knew the answer. The world wouldn¡¯t be so nice.


    <hr>


    ¡°It is an insult that this creature still lives!¡± Rashyta complained. The ancient temple around her groaned as if agreeing with her. A clicking could be heard from the old mechanism that controlled the workings of her realm, signaling their mistress¡¯s dissatisfaction. ¡°My lady, I am certain that there is a reason behind your father¡¯s actions. After all, he is the head of the Pantheon.¡± The goddess rolled her eyes at the reasoning of her favourite Chosen. It was always painful when Stinea¡¯s words made sense. Not because there was something inherently wrong with them, but because they were too logical. ¡°Whatever,¡± the goddess muttered. ¡°Hopefully that cretin will die before it reaches Seran. Then we won¡¯t have to deal with it.¡± She glanced at her Chosen. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a trial to attend to?¡± ¡°You are correct, your godliness,¡± Stinea, the High Judge of Sanktrum answered. ¡°Like always, it has been a pleasure talking to you. If your highness wants to vent her frustration again, I am always available.¡± Rashyta rolled her eyes in annoyance and waved the mortal away. She found it annoying how childish her Chosen¡¯s words made her sound. She wasn¡¯t venting her frustration. She was just informing her servants of what was to come. Her father would undoubtedly be mad if he found out that she was conversing with them so much. But what he didn¡¯t know, wouldn¡¯t hurt him. She glanced back at the spot her servant had occupied. It was nice to have somebody to open up to, even if it had to be a secret.


    Unbeknownst to the goddess, a shadow had been hiding in the darkest corners of the temple. It had seen enough and was eager to return to its master. Without causing a ripple, it slipped through the realm and towards home.


    In a dark clearing, a figure looked towards the sky and listened. Truly interesting. ¡°It seems like another piece has been set into motion.¡± The swirling void that covered its face stretched into the sky. ¡°Now the only question that remains: Will the piece fall on their or our side?¡± Instead of stars, an endless array of eyes covered the sky. ¡°Don¡¯t you agree, mother?¡±

 The Beast is Free

    Escaping had been a fool¡¯s errand. This was something I realised when looking at the approaching sand cloud covering the rising light-disk. They had seen us and it wouldn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that we would make our way to the nearest city.


    Luckily, if you could call our situation that, not the entire camp had taken up the pursuit. From afar I could make out around a dozen figures. Still, that left us with twelve armed and angry bandits that had no qualms about killing. A fight we would lose, but what other options did we have? There wasn''t anywhere to hide in the open desert and we couldn''t outrun the lamecs. So, we got ready for battle. My first and maybe last real battle.


    Pecta estimated that we had about ten minutes before they got to us, which wasn¡¯t a lot. My companion was equipped with a short sword and a dagger that he wielded in his off-hand. I only had the weird glowing dagger, which I wielded in my human hand. My claw was sharp enough to be used in combat, but I didn''t know how much good it would do me. Pecta took the healing potion, while I placed the four mysterious blue orbs in the pocket of my pants. They were of no use in combat but looked pretty and I hoped they would give me good luck. Deep down, I knew that the world didn¡¯t work like that but I was desperate. Had it been a bad decision to help Pecta? If I hadn¡¯t, I probably wouldn¡¯t be in this situation. Glancing at him I shook my head. Now wasn¡¯t the time to think about what could have been. I had made my choice and now I needed to stand by it.


    When the bandits saw that we were no longer fleeing they dismounted and approached. It didn''t take long for them to reach us and I immediately gulped when I saw what awaited us. Ten bandits wearing mismatched armor and drawn weapons were slowly approaching us in a half circle. They were built powerfully and didn''t seem to be amateurs in wielding their weapons. That on its own would be enough to get me worried, but what set my alarm off was the eleventh individual, who was leisurely strolling behind his comrades. It was the mage that had almost killed us back at the camp.


    They stopped around twenty steps from us and the mage, who was obviously the leader, stepped forward. His cloak was pulled down so I could see his immaculate face that was twisted into a grin. ¡°Now this is a sight you don¡¯t often see!¡± he shouted in a cheerful tone. ¡°Two would-be thieves, sneaking up on innocent people and slitting their throats.¡± He focused on me, his grin growing even wider. ¡°And what do we have here, a monster working with a human? Well, I¡¯ll be dammed.¡± Despite his cheerful demeanor, the situation only got creepier. I had to suppress a shiver when looking at his smile. Disturbing. Pecta had no such qualms and fearlessly stepped forward. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have put it better. You are dammed, dammed by the gods for your murderous and heretical ways.¡± The mage¡¯s smile slowly slipped, morphing into a sneer. ¡°Looks like we found a homeless paladin,¡± he spat. One of the bandits laughed but was quickly silenced by his companions. ¡°As much as I would love to talk about ideologies, we have a job to do. So, throw your weapons down and we might spare your lives,¡± he continued. Before anyone could move I took a step forward. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± I asked. ¡°You have the power to twist the world to your whim and enough money to buy an entire bandit force, but you use it to kill innocent people. Why?¡± I didn¡¯t understand it.


    The mage just chuckled. ¡°Sometimes you have to shed a bit of blood for the greater good. I honestly pity you. You were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. The gods must despise you.¡± I tensed at the casualness of the human¡¯s words. Even the bandits exchanged glances, not knowing what their leader was talking about. They were here because they had been paid, nothing more, nothing less. Calling them bandits was wrong. They were mercenaries. People who killed simply out of greed. These thoughts flooded my hand and I tightened my grip around the dagger. ¡°You are the absolute worst,¡± I hissed. The mage smiled. ¡°Kill them.¡±


    He stepped back and the mercenaries started slowly encircling us. They had superior numbers, so why risk deaths when they could take their time. Our odds weren''t looking good, and I was frightened. But together with that fear, there was something else. A pulse of excitement, disconnected from the rest. A part of me was eager for this fight.


    Quickly assessing the situation, I realised that we couldn¡¯t allow them to encircle us. It would make us easy pickings, so we needed to act fast. The biggest threat to us weren¡¯t the grunts, but the mage at the back because his capabilities were unknown. His ranged attacks during the camp raid had been very powerful and I didn¡¯t doubt that he hadn¡¯t shown us all that he could do. Pecta and I had discussed what we would do if the mage showed up and came to the consensus that he needed to go first.


    We waited until they were arranged in a half circle before Pecta gave the signal to attack. All hesitations gone, we both rushed side by side toward the three fighters in front of the mage. The others realised what we were planning and quickly closed in around us. The mage raised his hands and started muttering, signaling an impending magic attack. Before we clashed, Pecta threw the dagger from his offhand which buried itself in the neck of the right human. If I had time I would have applauded him for his perfect throw. The closest two mercenaries had already reached their two remaining comrades, making it four against two, with more enemies approaching.


    Pecta and I split, forcing the mercenaries to do the same, reducing the number of enemies I needed to fight to two. The sword of my first opponent clashed with my dagger above our heads. The second mercenary took the chance to slash at my other arm, with an attack that would have severed the hand of a normal human. Unfortunately for him, I wasn''t normal or human. The blade bounced harmlessly off of my scales which prompted him to let out a grunt. This distracted the other one, who briefly looked at what had surprised his comrade. His eyes widened when he saw my clawed arm from up close and the pressure of his sword weakened. Not one to let an advantage slip, I pushed his sword away and swept my claw through his neck. It went cleanly through, not a shred of resistance hindering it. Blood splattered on my clothes and a gurgle escaped the human¡¯s lips before he collapsed. Killing him had been shockingly easy. One swing and his life had been extinguished. But even then, a part of me was glad that he was dead and I still lived. I wanted to vomit but couldn¡¯t.


    My hesitation almost cost me my life as the mage finally showed his power. My only warning was the hiss of parting air before I had to dodge the wind blade. Even then, it grazed my side, leaving behind a clean cut. I hissed at the unexpected pain, and frantically dodged the second mercenary¡¯s swing. He had gotten over his shock and was now attacking with twice the vigor. I tried my best to dodge all his strikes but just wasn''t a good enough fighter. After receiving a wound on my right arm that almost made me drop my weapon I had to back off.


    This fight was going very poorly. The first part had made me confident that we had a chance to win, but now things were looking bad. As soon as they realised that we were dangerous opponents they dropped their overconfidence and became much more serious. I simply couldn''t break through my remaining enemy, and two more mercenaries were quickly approaching from behind.


    In one final desperate attack, I charged the bandit standing between me and the mage. Suddenly, four translucent spikes made out of air materialised in front of me. I managed to dodge the first half of the attack, but the remaining two spikes hit me below my thigh and my side, drawing blood. Before I even had the chance to scream, the sound of something shattering registered in my ears. At the same time, a white mist started billowing from the spot the wind spike had hit. Before anyone could figure out what was going on, the whole area around me was covered, reducing visibility to zero. The mysterious mist felt cool on my skin, similar to water, and slightly soothed the pain. Confused shouts could be heard from all around me. What had caused this? I fumbled at my side from where the mist had come from and felt broken shards. The orbs! I didn¡¯t know what they were but they probably caused this mist when the wind attack broke them.


    Before I could continue my musing, a clear voice cut through the confused screams. "By the graze of Venta, stop screaming like idiots! The monster used some sort of water magic to create the mist. It isn''t acid that will eat your skin, so shut up until I can blow it away!¡± All of the mage¡¯s attacks up to this point had utilised wind, so blowing away fog didn¡¯t seem very far-fetched. If that happened the mercenaries would simply take us down with their superior numbers. But the mage had made one mistake. A clear flaw with the orbs was that even the user couldn''t orient themselves, at least not without some sort of guidance. Guidance like, let''s say, the voice of their target. The shouting had given away the mage¡¯s position and I was going to capitalise on that. I could practically feel his flesh parting in front of my claw and his beautiful screams- what the hell was that thought?! It had come out of nowhere and if I had had the time I would have seriously considered my mental state. But there wasn¡¯t any time.


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    Despite the usefulness of the sudden fog, it didn¡¯t solve all my problems. Mainly the single opponent that was still separating me from their leader. Not for long


    The mist made seeing difficult, but not impossible. You could see the vague outlines of people close to you. So, when I saw such a shadow in front of me I didn''t hesitate and stabbed it in the gut. The motion came to me so naturally, as if I had done it a million times before. A tug on my mind signaled an imminent vision but I powered through. Letting go of the dagger to avoid my victim''s flailing, I continued forward. Only my natural weapons would be needed for the mage. In my haste, I even failed to realise that the dagger was glowing again and that the crumbled body on the sound was completely silent.


    The beast raised its head and howled a victory cry. Only four more chains were binding it. Soon it would be free to ravage this world. No, it wouldn¡¯t ravage it. It would escape. This world was a prison and it wasn¡¯t the only one here. Three other presences permeated it, one of which was in control. The beast pulled and another chain broke. Not for long.


    The mage recoiled as my body emerged from the mist like a vengeful god. Or maybe a really angry monster. He had been confident just a mere moment ago, surrounded by his goons, but now with only a couple of steps separating us, actual fear was starting to show. He had never entertained the thought of dying but now the possibility was there. The anger and bloodlust that had been building during the battle was starting to overflow, not leaving much room for anything else. I let out a battle cry and charged. The mage started frantically backpedaling and lifted his hands for another incantation. Before he could say anything, I reached him and slashed with my claw at his head. He raised his arms and somehow managed to block my attack. Well, block is a strong word. It sliced through his flesh but stopped upon hitting the bone. I had witnessed my claw cut straight through a man¡¯s neck, so this came as a surprise. From the corner of my eye, I noticed a ring on the mage''s hand glowing in a sickly green light. But things got worse, as he somehow hadn''t lost concentration from the sheer pain he was probably in and was still focused on the spell. ¡°Fist of Wind!¡±


    My breath was pushed out of my lungs as something hit my body and pushed me off my feet. I flew through the air and landed on my back with a thud. Gasping for breath I tried to orient myself. The spell had pushed me ten steps back and made me feel like I had hit a wall at full speed. The sand had cushioned my landing, but my front felt like one giant bruise. I looked around and what I saw made me despair. The mist had cleared and revealed the result of our fight. Five mercenaries were lying lifelessly on the sand, their blood soaking it red. It was a miracle that we had almost defeated half of them. But it wasn''t enough. Pecta was being pushed back by three humans and it was clear by the many cuts and a noticeable limp that he wouldn''t last very long. The only reason he was managing to defend himself was that they were toying with him and only looking to inflict non-lethal wounds. The remaining two mercenaries were leisurely approaching me. One of them was noticeably uncomfortable. ¡°Never knew a mage was so terrifying,¡± he muttered.


    A brief look of annoyance flashed across the mage¡¯s face, but it was quickly replaced with a chuckle. ¡°You backwater dregs know nothing of true power. Even I am just a speck of dust compared to some of the monsters I¡¯ve met.¡± The mage looked at my beaten form and focused on the claw. ¡°You really are a strange monster. I would love to know how you got here but I fear that the risk of keeping you alive far outweighs the benefits.¡± The other mercenary stared at the deep wound I had inflicted on the mage and nodded. To my astonishment, it was already healing and the mage was talking like it wasn¡¯t even there. The ring on his hand was still glowing. In any other situation I would have asked if the ring was magic but now truly wasn¡¯t the time. I was about to die. But instead of just killing me, the mage moved to one of the corpses lying around and pulled something from its stomach. ¡°The surprises don¡¯t stop,¡± he muttered while frowning at my dagger. Turning to me, he glared and pointed at it. ¡°Where did you get this?¡± I was in no state to answer properly, but somehow managed to utter something akin to ¡®I found it¡¯. One of the mercenaries moved closer. ¡°What is it, boss?¡±


    The mage turned it over and pointed at a symbol engraved at the base of the handle. It showed a snake with a halo encircling an armed human. I had noticed the symbol at the destroyed camp but hadn¡¯t thought much of it. ¡°This is a symbol of the Chosen Children of the Harbinger. A despicable cult. Furthermore, this dagger is an artifact. It uses the life force of its victims to silence them.¡± Without warning, the mage nicked the arm of one of his subordinates. The mercenary tried to say something but nothing left his mouth. Only silence. ¡°A small presentation. Now¡­¡± He turned towards me and raised his hand. ¡°Any last words?¡± Before I could answer he cast a spell. ¡°Wind Blade¡±


    A gut-wrenching scream escaped me as the magic attack tore into my stomach. When it dissipated, it left behind a deep gash that was welling blood. The mage frowned. ¡°You''re a tough one. Wind Blade.¡± Pain lit up my vision but I couldn¡¯t get away. The agony was all-encompassing but mixed in with it was something else. Anger.


    Why am I so weak? These humans were about to kill me and I could do nothing about it. A scream rang out from behind me. Even Pecta would die. That thought angered me even more. I hadn''t known him for long and he certainly had flaws, but he had been the first kind creature I had met in this world. Talking to him had been fun and it made me see that the world wasn¡¯t all bad. It angered me that he was about to die and there was nothing I could do about it.


    The beast howled and another chain broke. Two remaining.


    Suddenly, my body felt like it would burst from the sheer amount of power that swelled through me. I wasn''t about to be killed by some random mercenaries in the middle of nowhere. Not when there was so much I had yet to do. So much I wanted to see and experience.


    Another chain broke. One remaining.


    You idiot! Do you want the parasite to destroy us both?! I ignored my inner voice. I didn¡¯t know how, but I would survive this situation. No matter the cost.


    The final chain broke.


    The mage raised his hand for another Wind Blade but stopped when I suddenly lifted myself up. ¡°Still got some fight in you?¡± the prey dismissively asked. He motioned for the two mercenaries to approach. ¡°Finish it off. Even dregs like you should be able to do that.¡± They nodded and swiftly drew their weapons. One of them lifted his sword and swung for my neck. The swing never hit.


    Instead, his sword disappeared. The hand holding the sword also disappeared. The human stared in shock before clutching his stump as he staggered backward, his screams filling the area.


    Screams that pleased the beast. Sadly the prey was weak, not worthy of a hunt. Puny humans had somehow gotten weaker over time. It would be best to end this quickly before moving on to bigger prey. I snapped my fingers and erased one of the humans¡¯ heads from reality. The motion felt weird but what could one expect from a humanoid body? Soon the beast would regain its pristine form. Although, it would take some time. So, why not experiment a bit? I gazed at the second mercenary who was fearfully backpedaling and pointed at him, specifically his stomach. With a thought, I created a small opening that connected it to the abyss. Immediately, an abyssal leach crawled through and started feeding on his life essence. They were some of the weakest inhabitants of the abyss, but more than enough for one human. I turned towards the last three bandits and tilted my head in thought. What to try next? The thud of the lifeless second human whose body looked more like a weathered husk than a corpse resounded from behind me. I had already wasted enough time with them, so I would give them a quick death.


    The brutal deaths of their comrade had broken them from their trance and they decided that their lives were worth more than any money in the world. A realisation that came too late. A swift swipe of my hand and their heads fell off their body. With a thought, I closed the hair-thin crack in reality that had decapitated them and turned towards the mage. I decided to ignore Pecta for now. He had helped this vessel survive and would thus live longer.


    The mage had fallen on his back and was quickly crawling away from me. He had one hand raised and was frantically muttering another spell. Suddenly, a strong wind started picking up the sand around us and obscuring my vision. The wind became stronger and stronger until the individual sand corns felt like stones. The beast had been prepared for some strong magic, but this¡­ why was it so weak? Had humans deteriorated so much? It didn¡¯t matter. Prey would always be prey.


    I waved my hand and erased most of the wind essence around me, leaving just enough to breathe. The sand immediately plummeted to the ground and showed that the caster had decided to leave early. He was already on one of the lamecs and riding away into the distance, having probably used a spell or enchantment to get that far. With another sigh, I raised my hand to give the coward a deserving death when my body started convulsing. Damit, why was this vessel so weak? It couldn''t even handle a couple of reality manipulations. Before my eyes rolled into the back of my head I decided to at least kill the cowardly mage and erased his heart. Then everything went black.

 An unlikely Prisoner

    My mind was muddled as I came to my senses. The world was spinning and my vision was blurry. Slowly, it cleared and I managed to orient myself. ¡°This definitely isn¡¯t the desert,¡± I muttered as I glanced around the stone room.


    It was barren, with no windows, and the only light came from torches that were mounted on the wall in regular intervals. Dust and cobwebs filled the room, making it clear that it had seen better days. One piece of furniture dominated the far side of the room: A golden throne. And on top of that throne sat a monster.


    A reptilian beast, with pitch-black scales and an elongated snout, glared at me. Its burning eyes made me shiver. I recognised them. They were the eyes of the monster from my dream. The beast from my dream and this creature were different, especially considering the size, but the similarities were there. The scales, the eyes, and countless claws that were covering the armrest. This was the beast in a humanoid form.


    Despite the inhuman look its face still managed to convey a sly smile that radiated malevolence. It radiated an aura that twisted the world around it. The throne started changing turning from gold, to wood, to sand, and finally flesh in a matter of seconds. Reality was warping and it seemed to be spreading.


    I was familiar with fear. The fear of death was the most obvious one, but I also knew the fear of loneliness and the fear of uncertainty. This was an entirely different fear. The fear of existence. How fragile it was and how other creatures could end it with a snap. I turned around. An old wooden door was on the other side of the room. I turned back towards the monster. It smiled. I ran.


    I threw it open and ran down an empty hallway, not looking back. My instincts led me through countless corridors and rooms until I finally emerged through a giant double door into the outside. ¡®I''m definitely not in my world¡¯ was the first thought that crossed my mind when I saw the red sky. No stars or disks, only red. And beneath it, a war was being waged.


    The building I had escaped from was in the middle of a massive stone fortress with walls that were six times my size and adorned with countless small towers. All of them were manned by human-looking creatures. They had the form of humans with pale skin but also possessed a claw covered in black scales. All of these identical individuals looked familiar. They were- my eyes widened in recognition. Me! Hundreds of copies of me manned the walls and fought with various weapons.


    This was the biggest gathering of creatures I had ever seen, but I couldn¡¯t focus on them for long as my eyes drifted toward the attackers. My copies fought a swarm of monsters that all bore a striking resemblance to the beast I had just run from. They came in all shapes and sizes, with four-legged beasts as well as towering humanoids, which used their claws and teeth to rip apart the defenders.


    My copies had superior numbers, but they were clumsy and it was obvious that they didn''t know how to use the weapons they held. Their blows were weak and the few feathered bolts that they managed to launch never hit their target. The only reason they were still holding their ground was because of the red shroud that covered their weapons, which seemed to automatically push the monsters back.


    Tracing the red light back to its source, I noticed that the walls were inscribed with a repeating pattern of symbols. A bleeding eye. The red energy emanated from them but it looked to be weakening. The monsters were attacking ferociously and I feared what would happen if they reached me.


    The screaming and screeching of the fighters made my stomach twist. ¡¯Where am I?'' The red sky made it clear that this wasn¡¯t the world I was familiar with. But how did I get here? The last thing I remembered was the mage standing over me, ready to cast another spell. This is your mind. My eyes widened when my inner voice answered the unspoken question. I frantically looked around but there was nobody close. That voice¡­ I had heard it before. I remembered brief remarks that had felt a bit out of place for the situation. I had attributed it to me speaking to myself but now¡­ I looked around again. ¡°Hello? Who are you?¡± The voice stayed silent.


    I took a step back as my breathing quickened. ¡®Calm down! This isn''t the time to panic! If what I just heard is true then this is all my imagination. Nothing can hurt me-¡® The world rumbled and all the monsters simultaneously let out a howl. One of the eyes on the wall completely darkened, making the shroud around the weapons of one section of defenders disappear. They were immediately overrun and hacked to pieces. No blood was spilled, only some kind of purple energy. Suddenly, everything flashed and I could have sworn that the beast from my dreams was standing before me in all its glory. I blinked and it disappeared.


    Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm myself and stop my fluttering nerves. I didn¡¯t know what was going on but ignoring it wasn¡¯t a solution. The monsters seemed to be the problem so if I managed to somehow defeat them, then maybe everything would be alright.


    I was about to throw myself into battle when a calm voice interrupted me.


    You won''t make a difference. You''re still too weak. The only way you will survive is by listening to me. Come down to the dungeon and free me. Release me and I shall help you. I can help you extend your life by just a few moments, body stealer.


    It took a while before I processed what the voice was saying. The instructions were very clear but I really didn¡¯t want to follow them. Following the instructions of some voice in your head didn¡¯t sound like a good plan. Sadly, I didn''t have a lot of choices. Either the monster from my dreams would kill me or I could trust the mysterious voice that was in my mind.


    I choose the latter option and turned around to reenter the building I had come from, leaving the cacophony of fighting behind. The thought that I didn''t know the location of the dungeon briefly crossed my mind, but my body instinctively knew where to go. I passed countless rooms and descended down a wide staircase at the end of a long hallway.


    The air grew increasingly stale the farther I got down and the number of torches lighting the steps dwindled, making everything seem gloomy. Finally, I reached the end of the staircase leaving me standing in front of a tall iron door. Without me touching the door, it swung open with a loud creak that echoed through the stairs. I shuddered and stepped through. This was the only choice.


    What greeted me was a long brick hallway lined with prison cells. Everything was covered in a thin layer of mold and all the iron bars had turned brown from rust. This part of the fortress was in an even worse condition than the rest. Unblinking stone eyes followed my every move as I stepped in.


    The sound of my steps echoed through the dungeon and mixed with the low chuckle that could be heard coming from up ahead. As I got closer and my eyes adjusted to the low lighting, I could finally make out where it was coming from. The very last cell on the left side was different from the rest. The bars looked brand new and not a single spot of rust could be found on them. I stopped in front of it and tried to take a look at its inhabitant, but the light from outside didn''t reach inside.


    The inhabitant stepped out of the darkness and slowly clapped. "Congratulations, you managed to screw up so badly that you need my help,¡± the person said in an amused tone. At first, I thought I was looking at one of my copies but my eyes widened when I saw both of their arms. Human arms. I was standing before a human replica of me. His clothing was in tatters but a smile lit up his face as he saw my expression. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± No, I didn¡¯t but I could make a guess. ¡°Why did you call me body stealer?¡± I asked. ¡°Because you are one,¡± was the response. More and more pieces were starting to fit together.


    ¡°This-¡° I gestured around me. ¡°This is your body, isn¡¯t it? Or to better put it, was.¡± The human smiled and nodded. ¡°So, you finally figured it out.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°Let me introduce myself: My name is Sarvad and for eighteen years this body you possess was mine. I had the chance to become something greater but it seems like something went wrong. You appeared and took control. Now you are the one losing control. If you don¡¯t do something soon, the parasite will take control. I can already feel it, your mental defenses are weakening by the second and its control is getting stronger. Free me and I will help you.¡±


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    What he said slowly sank in. I had trapped Sarvad inside this world. It wasn¡¯t on purpose but I felt horrible about it. Just because of that, I wanted to free him. But something was stopping me.


    ¡°Why should I trust you?¡± I asked. Sarvad seemed to be human and I knew very well that humans could be evil. The mage and mercenaries were perfect examples. I had no guarantee that this one wouldn¡¯t be like them.


    Suddenly, Sarvad laughed. ¡°That is true, you can''t trust me. There is no guarantee I can give you, but we don¡¯t have a lot of choices. The parasite is spreading its corruption as we speak and if it gains full control, then I will also be screwed. Your mental defenses, the ones I perfected, are running on autopilot, which severely weakens them. You can¡¯t properly activate them, I can.¡±


    Looking past the fact that he had just read my mind, he was right. Since I had gotten here, I had felt it spreading. A sense of powerlessness, of me losing control. It was a bad feeling and I feared trusting someone with it. But I feared the monster in my mind even more.


    ¡°I free you and you¡¯ll help me. Afterward, we can find an arrangement that works.¡± Sarvad smiled. ¡°That sounds good.¡±


    I pulled at the bars but they didn¡¯t budge. Sarvad tried very hard to hide his facepalm but I still noticed. ¡°Don¡¯t think of this as being real,¡± he explained. ¡°This world is the mindscape, a separate reality to the physical one. You have to use your intent to change it. Simply think of something and it will happen.¡± I frowned. Didn¡¯t that mean I could simply will the parasite away?


    Reading my thoughts, Sarvad shook his head. ¡°First of all, you have no practice in manipulating mental essence. Secondly, even if you were extremely talented you wouldn¡¯t be able to just will it away. The parasite is a sentient entity with its own intent. Even I will only be able to push it back, not actually destroy it.¡±


    Looks like there wasn¡¯t an easy out for me. Grumbling I started focusing again. A sloshing sound broke my concentration and I looked down the corridor. When Sarvad had spoken of corruption it hadn¡¯t registered properly what he had meant. Now I could see it. In one moment I was looking at a gloomy dungeon hallway and the next it had transformed into the maggot-infested innards of a giant.


    The white worms squirmed inside the mess of flesh, blood, and organs, which was slowly moving toward me. The blood splashed everywhere and the only thing keeping it from swallowing me was the fact that it was confined to the corruptions area of influence. It was a grisly sight to behold that didn''t help my concentration at all. The sheer suddenness of it made me pause. If I wanted to survive then I needed to act now.


    ¡®Ok, you can do it.¡¯ I thought to myself as I closed my eyes and envisioned the cell in front of me. Sarvad had thankfully gone quiet, which helped my concentration a lot. After a few seconds, the cell appeared in my head, bars included. Then I imagined the iron that was keeping him inside, disappearing. At first, nothing happened and I tried to focus harder, ignoring the splashing of the blood that was approaching.


    Suddenly, I felt dizzy and my world started spinning. To keep myself from falling, I leaned against the wall opposite the cell. Slow clapping prompted me to open my eyes again and see Sarvad walking out of the room with a giant grin.


    "Good Job! Honestly, I didn''t think you had it in you, but look at you! You''re first mental manipulation and only slight vertigo! If you keep it up then in a couple of centuries you won''t even need me to fight your battles.¡± I just nodded, too tired to respond to the praise. Sarvad looked dismissively to his right, at the approaching gore wave. "Oh, you still here. I thought you would have fled in fear like the little mind parasite you are. Let me fix that." He took a step forward and the air around him started shimmering. The parasite stopped approaching.


    Suddenly, it flinched backward and slowly started retreating. Sarvad, apparently dissatisfied, snapped his finger and the air started glowing brighter. The slow retreat turned into a rush and before I knew it all traces of the parasite had completely disappeared. Everything looked exactly as it had been before being forcibly changed and not a single drop of blood could be found.


    A quick look towards my savior showed him standing tall and grinning victoriously. Still, there were a few things that painted a different picture, like the tightening of his eyes and his stiff shoulders. These details, which I would have never noticed in the real world, were painfully obvious here and showed that what he had done hadn''t been as effortless as he wanted me to believe.


    ¡°Of course, I''m exhausted after pushing a foreign invader out of the inner part of the mindscape,¡± he responded to my thought. ¡°You wouldn''t believe how much mind essence that cost me.¡± I didn¡¯t even know what mind essence was, so that was probably true. ¡°Thank you for saving me,¡± I honestly stated. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I trapped you in here but I am terribly sorry. I will do my best to fix it.¡±


    Sarvad just waved his hand and smiled. ¡°No problem. Although¡­¡± He frowned. There is something I have to do in the real world, so it would be very kind if you helped me do that.¡± I nodded my head. ¡°Of course. What do you need me to do?¡±


    ¡°You''ll-" He stopped and looked towards the ceiling. "It looks like we''re out of time. But don''t worry, you''ll hear from me again. Goodbye for now... what do I call you?¡± Sarvad thought for a second before he got an idea. ¡°Vindict. Yes, Vindict is a good name for you. It comes from an old language and translates into something very fitting for you,¡± he said with a smile. With that, everything turned black.


    I slowly opened my eyes with a groan. Everything was shaking and my entire body felt ragged. "Finally your awake!" The familiar voice of Pecta said with evident relief. "Could you speak a bit more quietly?" I groaned while lifting my throbbing head to get a better look at where I was.


    The shaking came from the fact that I was lying on a moving lamec and lamec riding wasn''t very comfortable. That, coupled with the fact that my head was hurting like crazy, made me want to double over. Seeing my expression Pecta chuckled. He was riding on another lamec in front of me and had tied the reins of mine to his.


    A couple of makeshift bandages adorned his body in various places. Behind us, I could see a third lamec that was tied to mine and held a lot of luggage. "You have been out for four fucking days. If I hadn''t seen you kill all those bastards I would accuse you of laziness. You won''t believe how much work it was to keep the animals from running away!" I smiled at hearing his familiar voice. It was a surprise that my mind trip had lasted for so long, but it felt good to be back in the real world. You make it sound like you didn''t enjoy my presence.


    A look of surprise crossed my face. "Is something wrong?" Pecta asked with concern. "Everything is fine,¡± I quickly reassured him and put on my best smile. Are you surprised to hear me? I am literally inside your mind. Pecta looked at me with a raised eyebrow but let it go. ¡°But seriously there is one question I have to ask you. What the fuck was that!?" I look at him quizzically and motion for him to elaborate.


    "First you get your ass kicked by those bandits," he started his rant. "Then suddenly you turn into crazy mode, with your eyes glowing and black veins popping out, and kill all of the other bandits with ease. Do you realise what kind of power you showed there?" He shudders involuntarily. "It honestly scared me shitless," he whispers as almost an afterthought. "Not that I am not grateful for that rescue,¡± he reassured me. ¡°But it would be nice to know what happened there.


    I avoided eye contact and look at the moving ground. That feeling of pleasure when the violence started. That completely wrong and unnatural feeling. Now it was my turn to shudder. "I... I don''t know," I answer honestly. But I could guess. The parasite had briefly taken control of my body and used it to channel its power. It had saved me but I didn¡¯t feel very grateful.


    "My memory... is foggy. I can only remember glimpses of what happened when I was awake. But I get you. I remember so little of it and that alone scares me - a lot." He searched my face for answers but eventually gave up and let out an unhappy sigh. "We are about to reach Seran, so we should prepare. Don''t think that this conversation is over, we''re only delaying it!" My heart started beating faster and I licked my lips in anticipation. My first human city. ''This will be interesting.¡¯


    <hr>


    Sarvad¡¯s smile slipped as the body stealer disappeared. Pushing the parasite out of the heartland of the mind scape had cost him a lot but removing this second parasite shouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡°Can you hear me ADAM?¡± An emotionless voice sounded from everywhere at once.


    ¡°Affirmative.¡±


    ¡°Disengage passive mode. Remove the entity that is currently controlling the body. I don¡¯t care what Protocol you use, just get it done.¡±


    ¡°Negative¡±


    The human frowned in anger. ¡°Why the hell not?¡±


    ¡°Former User does not have the authority necessary to remove a Probational User.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?! I literally created you, you stupid defence system!¡± He protested.


    ¡°Status as Creator acknowledged. No extra authority comes with the status.¡±


    Sarvad clenched his fist. He couldn¡¯t believe what was happening. In anger, he punched a wall but it didn¡¯t budge. Shaking his hand, not out of pain but out of habit, he frowned and looked up at the ceiling. ¡°Looks like I still need you. For now.¡±

 Entering Seran

    Sweating is a biological process that helps humans cool off. It can also occur when someone is nervous. I don¡¯t sweat. My body was mostly human but it had stopped producing sweat. The only reason I knew about the substance was because of the memories of this body.


    Sarvad¡¯s memories, as I had come to realise. The knowledge that I shouldn¡¯t have, the visions, everything was his. The shock of my fight in the mindscape had worn off but when I tried to communicate with Sarvad, he wouldn¡¯t answer. I had thought about asking Pecta for advice but had decided against it. This just felt too personal, like something I had to deal with on my own. Anyway, I hadn¡¯t thought a lot about sweat, but now, as I was walking towards Seran I was very grateful for the lack of it. Otherwise, I would have been a sweating wreck.


    Back on the dune, I had been able to overlook the entire settlement and what I saw had amazed me. The city of Seran was made up of hundreds, no thousands, of rectangular buildings in varying sizes, with wide streets leading to the center. Even from here, I could make out the small moving figures of humans that crowded the streets and moved in all directions.


    The entirety of Seran was encased by a wall thrice my size that was patrolled by even more humans. Most of the city was made out of yellow sandstone (Pecta told me), which made the green gateway even more prevalent. It was flanked by two giant statues of winged humanoids that both held crossed swords over their chest. When I asked my companion about them, he explained that those were guardian angels, meant to protect the citizens from harm. How that worked I didn¡¯t know. Maybe they could come alive or something similar to that? I didn¡¯t dwell on that question as something else caught my eye: the palace.


    It was surrounded by another wall, this one much bigger than the outer one, and looked much more opulent than the rest of the city. It had four towers at each corner and one gigantic one in the middle that stretched into the sky. Unlike the rest of the city, it wasn''t simply built from sandstone, but also a variety of metals that gleamed in the light. I didn''t need to ask Pecta about the purpose of this construction. I vividly remembered his rant about human society when we were fleeing from the sandworm. The palace was most likely reserved for the nobles.


    Despite that harsh reminder, I was excited. This was the first time I would be around so many other sentient beings and the thought of that made me giddy. So many people with different views on life and varied experiences. Maybe I could even find some answers to the many questions that had been plaguing me since the start of my journey.


    Before I could signal my lamec to continue Pecta stopped me. ¡°Whow, wait a moment. You can¡¯t enter the city looking like this.¡± I looked down at my body. My clothing covered all the sensitive bits, even if it was a bit more red than at the start of the journey. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked. My companion looked uncomfortable as if he didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Well, most humans don¡¯t have a very good opinion on¡­ monsters.¡± I frowned at him. ¡°But I¡¯m not a monster.¡± The mage had called me a monster but I assumed that was just because he was evil. I was nothing like a sandworm or a Click. ¡°Of course, you¡¯re not,¡± he hurriedly reassured me. ¡°But your appearance could cause some confusion.¡± Nodding, I looked at my claw. You could definitely tell that I wasn¡¯t completely human.


    ¡°Guess, I have to live with some people being mean to me. But I can take it.¡± Pecta shifted uncomfortably. ¡°To be honest¡­ other people being mean to you will be the least of your problems. You will most likely be attacked on sight.¡± I stared at him in shock. ¡°Wait, what?¡± The human scratched the back of his head. ¡°Humans don¡¯t live with monsters. Most of us are afraid of them because a lot of them are mindless beasts that would kill you without hesitation. The only reason I wasn¡¯t freaking out when we met was because I know some shapeshifters and even an Ilokai. They can seamlessly blend into our society but you can¡¯t. If the guards see you they will hunt you down and sell your body parts to an alchemist.¡± My mouth dropped open. ¡°That¡¯s barbaric!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Pecta said while raising his hands to calm me down. ¡°I have a plan.¡±


    As soon as we got close to the city, the giant green gate swung open and two humans emerged. ¡°Halt! State your business in Seran,¡± one of them called out. Both of them carried spears and wore full leather armour. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that we had garnered quite the attention from the other guards on the wall.


    Seeing only two people in a caravan probably wasn¡¯t normal, much less them looking like they had just lost a fight. Most of our gear was in ruin but luckily we had come out of that fight alright. Pecta had to use the last healing potion, while my wounds healed on their own. The parasite had somehow changed this human body to be more resilient, one of the few positive aspects of its existence. Hopefully, I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with it anymore, something I truly doubted.


    As we had agreed, Pecta started talking for the both of us. ¡°A pleasant day to you, honoured guardsmen. I and my companion were part of a caravan owned by the Merchant¡¯s Union that was traveling from Farwick to Pyremere when a group of bandits attacked us. We managed to fend them off, but it cost us the lives of everyone else. Our supplies are running thin and we desperately need shelter.¡± I nodded my head along to his story. Pecta was a talented actor, managing to sound respectful while lacing his words with a twinge of desperation. From what he told me, this story wasn¡¯t far from the truth.


    The guard that had spoken squinted his eyes and looked at us suspiciously. ¡°You two were the only survivors of a bandit raid? That doesn¡¯t sound very likely. Bandits here in the Scorching Barrens are tricky little bastards that rarely let their prey escape.¡± Pecta nodded his head. ¡°Your suspicion is warranted. The bandits were tough. However, we had the luck of running into a relatively small group that underestimated our strength. We two were hired as guards and managed to defeat the last remaining bandits.¡±


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    His explanation sounded plausible to me but the human still had doubts. He pointed at Pecta¡®s sword. ¡°You being a guard I can believe.¡± His eyes shifted to me and he glared. ¡°But don¡¯t tell me that the Merchant¡¯s Union has fallen to the level that they hire scum like him.¡±


    I glared right back at him. My disguise made it so that the guard couldn¡¯t see that I wasn¡¯t human but he still insulted me out of the blue. Well, disguise is a very strong word. Pecta had cut the clothing of the dead mercenaries into ribbons and wrapped them around my head, to hide my face. I asked him why we needed to hide my human face and he answered that it looked very unique, which I didn¡¯t know how to take.


    Then he had repeated that process with my arms and legs. My claw made everything worse since it would be recognisable even if bandaged, so I had to keep it out of view and hidden inside my cloak at all times. This could be passed off as an arm injury, but still, I had questioned him about the viability of such a... minimalistic disguise. Wouldn¡¯t it be even more obvious that I was trying to hide something?


    He reassured me that my bandaged appearance wouldn¡¯t be questioned. Some followers of Noctus, the God of Shadows, concealed their bodies with bandages as a religious practice. He warned me that some people wouldn¡¯t look at me so favourably, since followers of Noctus had a bad reputation. It was still better than being hunted for not being human.


    The guard¡¯s prejudices were starting to show, as he stepped right up to my face and scrunched his eyes together. This would have been intimidating if not for the fact that I was sitting on a lamec, which meant that he had to look up at me. ¡°Merchants hiring someone who worships the patron of thieves? Hard to believe.¡±


    Pecta cleared his throat and frowned but didn¡¯t lose his respectful tone. ¡°With all due respect, my college is an excellent guard, who alerted us to the ambush. Without him, we wouldn¡¯t have survived our encounters. Noctus is also the patron of merchants, so the Merchant¡¯s Union wasn¡¯t very opposed to hiring him.¡± The guard grunted in distaste. ¡°Of course, those moneybags would stoop so low.¡±


    ¡°Are you always this rude to everyone?¡± I blurted out. The original plan had been for Pecta to do all the talking, but I just couldn''t help myself. In the short time I had met the guard he had insulted me and others with no apparent reason. He was just being unnecessarily mean and I wanted to point that out.


    Before the rude guard could respond the second one, who hadn¡¯t said anything up to this point, stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Are you seriously trying to start a conflict with two people who just arrived from the desert? Just look at them, it is obvious that they need all the help that they can get.¡±


    Turning to us he apologised. ¡°Sorry for my partner¡¯s behaviour. The Merchant¡¯s Union doesn¡¯t have an outpost in Seran but we will relay to them what happened to their caravan. For the time being, you can rest in Seran and recover your strength, but we advise you against leaving the city.¡± I heard a soft snort from the other guard. The nice one gave him a dirty look before continuing. ¡°We will have to confiscate everything that doesn''t belong to you so that we can return it to the Merchant¡¯s Union. I''m sure that they will be thankful and reward you appropriately.¡±


    I was about to protest giving up our hard-earned spoils, but Pecta quieted me with a stare and simply nodded his head. "Of course honoured guardsmen. That won¡¯t be a problem.¡± He got down from his lamec and motioned for me to do the same. ¡°Do you know of a place where we could stay?¡± The guard nodded and pointed behind him.


    ¡°If you go down the main road for a bit you''ll see an inn called ¡®The Emerald Drink¡¯. It''s not the nicest place, but it is cheap and the beer is amazing.¡± He pointedly looked at my concealed arm. ¡°I would also recommend you visit an alchemist to do something about that wound. Don¡¯t want it to get infected.¡±


    We thanked him for his advice and were about to enter the city when the first guard stopped us. ¡°You need to give us your names. Need to know who to find if a dead body turns up.¡± That last statement was thrown in my direction. The other guard rolled his eyes but kept quiet. ¡°Of course honoured guardsmen,¡± Pecta replied with a smile, but I could see that his fist was clenched in anger. ¡°My name is Pecta and this is my companion Vindict.¡±


    The name Vindict didn¡¯t hold any real meaning to me but if Sarvad would call me that then I could use it as my own. I did like the sound of it.


    After that, Pecta gave the reins of our mounts to the guard and we were finally allowed to enter the city.


    The first thing I noticed was the temperature. The heat from the desert hadn¡¯t bothered me but here it was noticeably cooler. Before I could ask Pecta my question he answered, ¡°It¡¯s a Blessing. Some powerful chosen of a god or goddess put it up to stop the people from fainting from the heat. From what I heard, it¡¯s very common out here in the Scorching Barrens.¡± I frowned at the fact that I was becoming predictable but noted that Chosen were very powerful. If this effect covered the whole city then it was truly impressive.


    After resolving that question I finally started to truly look at my surroundings. Humans of all shapes and sizes filled the streets, with some simply walking around like we were and some standing at the side doing various activities I couldn''t place. Some I recognised, like the game with the symbol cards that the mercenaries had played, but others were completely foreign to me. For example, I saw a group of humans who were busy carrying stones to an empty area where they were placed atop one another. Was that something humans did for fun? Maybe I would try it at one point.


    ¡°Before we do anything, let''s go to the inn,¡± Pecta interrupted my musings. His gaze was pointed straight ahead and he walked at a brisk pace through the crowd. ¡°Our money situation isn¡¯t bad, considering what the bandits had with them.¡± He motioned to a bag that he had concealed from the guards inside his cloak. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t cause trouble, we should be fine. Still, I would much rather leave the Scorching Barrens as soon as possible to get back to cooler temperatures. I doubt that the Merchant¡¯s Union would deign to give me anything for failing at my job as a guard. Despite being some of the richest people in Sanktrum, they are awfully stingy.¡±


    I simply shrugged. ¡°You are the expert on human society.¡± A lot of questions were on my mind but they could wait. Something about the large crowd made me uncomfortable. I repeatedly bumped into random humans and quietly apologised.


    We continued walking in silence, both lost in our thoughts. ¡°Hey¡­,¡± Pecta started another conversation and paused when I looked at him. ¡°I just want to say thank you. Without you, I''d be just another corpse in the desert. I know that I''m sometimes not the best person and I don''t know if it was simple dumb luck or the will of the gods that made us cross paths, but I just want you to know that I''m thankful for all that you''ve done.¡±


    I hadn''t experienced many nice things in this world, but that statement genuinely warmed my heart. Not in a literal way, that probably wouldn''t be healthy, but in a metaphorical one. ¡°No need to thank me. I''m sure that anyone would have done the same thing in my situation,¡± I responded with a smile. ¡°After all, life should be cherished.¡± Pecta let out a low chuckle as if doubting my words.

 The Hunt Begins

    The Emerald Drink looked like a small two-story building, similar to the other buildings surrounding it. When we entered, we were immediately faced with a large common room filled with dark green tables and benches. I liked its appearance, which presented a stark contrast to anything I had ever seen. It was different from the wild beauty of the desert but nice and unique in its own way.


    My companion wasn¡¯t phased by it and immediately walked through the sparsely populated room and straight to the bar that was manned by a stocky human woman. Her skin was dark and she wore plain clothes with the same yellow color scheme that seemed to be common for humans. Or maybe this type of clothing was just worn in the Scorching Barrens? I obviously didn''t know a lot about humans, but from her appearance, I assumed that she was a fair bit older than Pecta. ¡®It would be nice if I had someone to explain these things to me, so I don¡¯t have to ask Pecta all the time¡¯. Sadly, Sarvad didn¡¯t answer. I still didn¡¯t know what to think of him but I hoped he was okay.


    The woman raised her eyes from the glass she was polishing and studied us. Her gaze studied my bandaged appearance for a second longer before turning to Pecta who had taken a step forward. ¡°What can I do for you?¡± she asked in a gruff tone. ¡°Two rooms for a weak,¡± Pecta answered. ¡°That will be 1 silver.¡± He grumbled but handed her one silver coin without protest. I had a basic understanding of money but didn¡¯t know the specifics to place its value. To me, one coin didn¡¯t seem like much, but going by Pecta¡¯s expression it wasn¡¯t cheap.


    The woman ducked behind the bar and placed two slightly rusty keys on the counter. ¡°You are in rooms 3 and 4, second floor. She ducked behind the bar again and pulled out a worn piece of paper, a feather, and a small jar of dark blue liquid. ¡°Names?¡±


    Pecta frowned. ¡°Since when do you have to give your name at inns?¡± The women shrugged. ¡°Don''t blame me, blame the law. I need to write down the names of my customers that stay here, no matter how few they are.¡± She eyed us both. ¡°Not from around here?¡± She asked but made it sound more like a statement. Pecta ignored her, as he was still fixated on the names. ¡°Why the hell do you have to do that?¡±


    The innkeeper rolled her eyes before leaning in closer. ¡°Didn¡¯t hear this from me but our City Lord seems to be slowly going paranoid. Only took over six years ago and already fearing for his position. He isn¡¯t doing a very good job.¡± Pecta slowly nodded before he came to a realisation. ¡°Wait, is your City Lord from House Altan? One of theirs was recently banished to the Scorching Barrens, wasn¡¯t he?¡±


    I looked between the two while they discussed human politics. On one hand, it was interesting to see how humans operated but on the other hand, I did want to finally explore the city. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m going to look at my room,¡± I interrupted their conversation. ¡°Our names are Vindict and Pecta.¡± For some reason, Pecta glared at me when I mentioned our real names. Nonetheless, he handed me my key and turned back towards the innkeeper.


    Before I could walk up the stairs she called out to me, ¡°May the light not blind your eyes.¡± Pecta looked just as confused as I was. Not knowing an answer I simply nodded before climbing up the stairs. Her gaze was burning into my back but I decided to ignore it. Just a figment of my imagination.


    When I entered my room I couldn¡¯t help but crack a smile. It wasn''t the most spacious or flashy, but it was nice. A bed was stationed in the left corner, while a small desk with a chair occupied the right one. All of the furniture was made from the green material I had seen in the main room. Light shined through a single window opposite the doorframe I was standing in. I slowly walked into my room and closed the door. Then I stopped and simply stood still. I felt... drained.


    Not physically, but mentally. Everything since my coming into existence had been so chaotic and stressful, that I hadn''t had the time to simply feel my emotions and unwind. The sandworm, the mercenaries, the mage, Sarvad, and the parasite in my mind.


    There had been so many situations where I could have died, but didn''t and prevailed that I was honestly impressed by myself. Sure, there were some unresolved problems and questions, like Sarvad¡¯s mysterious task for me, but I would tackle them when the time came. Now was the time to do what I wanted.


    ¡®What do I want?¡¯ That was a question worth exploring.


    <hr>


    ¡°Your work isn''t up to our expectations, Miss Panzinho,¡± a voice, that echoed through the entire chamber, spoke. It was a simple sentence, but one that still caused sweat to trickle down Eleura¡¯s back. She was a proud woman who prided herself on being cold and calculating, but before this person, all of her pride vanished and was replaced by a creeping fear.


    The room was dark and only lit by the ever-burning candles surrounding the communication orb. Normally it would show the face of the person using the linking piece, but right now it only showed darkness. Still, Eleura was sure that her image was perfectly visible to the person watching from the other end.


    She gulped and slowly answered. ¡°Most of our current projects are focusing on the eventual success of Project: Daemonium Renatus. Due to this, other projects that don¡¯t contribute to it have received reduced funding. However, I am certain that with the completion of this project, we will make up for our losses and surpass all expectations.¡± She almost fumbled with the name of the project and just managed to pronounce it correctly. Why most of the important projects had ancient names was a mystery to her. She doubted that there were more than ten people in the world who spoke Idish.


    Her boss was silent for a couple of seconds. ¡°How is the progress on Project: Daemonium Renatus?¡± A single bead of sweat rolled down her forehead but she managed to sound confided while answering, ¡°The project is moving along swiftly. I am receiving regular updates from Facility Lord Milgram, according to whom the experiments are nearing their end. Results are to be expected in no less than a couple weeks.¡± This was a lie. Milgram had not used his communication orb for over a week and the Administrator still didn¡¯t know what was going on. However, she needed to give a timeline of when to expect results, unless she wanted to be replaced.


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    The silence that greeted her was unnerving. She was about to test if the communication orb had malfunctioned, when the voice started to speak again, ¡°Reiterate the procedures you took to secure Facility X.¡± Not a single emotion could be guessed from the tone of the Overseer¡¯s voice. Not caught off guard by the sudden shift in topic she answered:


    ¡°The facility is located in the middle of the Scorching Barrens, away from any settlements, and with our most competent and loyal members stationed there. Facility Lord Milgram, who has performed exceptionally in all loyalty tests, is in control of the facility and regularly sends status updates through his communication orb. Only the city of Seran is close by, so that we can interfere quickly, in the unlikely event that something goes wrong. We have enlisted mercenary crews, with no ties to any existing force, to circle the Facility and intercept any caravans that might wander into their territory. All of them are led by a mage loyal to us. Their overall power level is relatively minor, so as not to arouse suspicion.


    However, they are still more than capable of dealing with any threat that Sanktrum or the Scorching Barrens may throw at them. We have also unleashed 12 specimens of modified sandworms from Facility M6, to further discourage any explorers. These specimens have a higher aptitude for earth magic than their common brethren, but are still rooted to one territory so they were deemed a good fit.¡±


    Another pause. Hadn''t she feared for her career and life, Eleura would have snapped at her boss to hurry up. ¡°Most of my fellow Overseers have deemed you too inexperienced for this position, but I gave it to you because I saw your potential. You possess talent that the others ignore because of your youth.¡± Eleura couldn''t help her mouth from twitching when she heard that. Not experienced enough because of her youth. Why couldn¡¯t the Overseer be honest? The others didn¡¯t believe in her because she wasn¡¯t human. It was as simple as that.


    ¡°I want you to have a chance to stand with us at the top when we change the world. Knowledge is power and we have both in abundance. This project will make you see face-to-face with us Overseers. Maybe you will join our ranks. This could await you if you succeed. But if you fail¡­Do not disappoint me.¡± With that a familiar humming filled the room, signaling the shut down of the orb.


    A moment passed before Eleura flipped it a gesture that wasn''t fitting for a woman of her status. ¡°Fuck you, you giant, sadistic, son of a bitch,¡± she mumbled under her breath. The gratitude that she had once felt for the Second Overseer¡¯s action in giving her control of Project: Daemonium Renatus had shrunken to the size of a kernel. Yes, he had taken a gamble when selecting her, but not before taking the necessary precautions to jump ship if it turned out to sink. He was as heartless as anyone at the top of the Institution.


    She knew that his actions were entirely logical and justified, but she was already fuming at this point. This entire situation with Facility Lord Milgram not responding, possibly ending everything she had ever worked for, was taking a heavier mental toll than she had imagined.


    She was about to storm out of the door, when one of her rings started glowing in a light shade of green, signaling the presence of somebody nearby. None of her underlings should see her in a state like this, so she took some time to compose herself before exiting the room. She had to duck so that her horns didn¡¯t scrape the top of the doorframe.


    Outside, holding a stack of papers, stood her new assistant with a perfectly neutral expression. It had been risky to inform somebody else of the unresponsiveness of Facility X, but Eleura had to do it if she wanted a chance to fix things. This new assistant was an older woman that was recommended to her by one of her few ¡®friends¡¯ in exchange for a large number of favours. She wasn''t happy with the arrangement, but couldn''t think of something better. ¡°What is it?¡± Eleura asked in a slightly angrier tone than necessary.


    ¡°The agents that were sent out to investigate what happened to Facility X have reported their findings. What they found, was that the entire facility and some of its surroundings have completely disappeared.¡± Eleura blinked a couple of times before processing that. The agents were lent to her by the previously mentioned ¡®friend¡¯ and were probably subpar at best, but she was sure that they were professional.


    ¡°What do you mean by disappeared?¡± She slowly asked. ¡°From what they reported it looked like the entire building complex had vanished into thin air, only leaving behind a giant hole. Furthermore, their devices picked up that the Veil between realms in that location was unnaturally thin,¡± the assistant said in a completely neutral tone, despite the magnitude of it. ¡®Something disturbed the reality there.¡¯ Reality manipulation was a big part of the project but it was obvious that something had gone terribly wrong. The entire facility disappearing? That spelled disaster.


    ¡°Any more grave news?¡± The Administrator asked, almost rhetorically. ¡°Yes, actually there are a couple more.¡± Eleura suppressed a sigh and beckoned her to continue. ¡°The mercenaries to the west had an incident, where two unknown figures stole supplies from them and killed three people. In response, a hunting group that included our mage was dispatched to deal with them.¡± The assistant flipped the document she was holding, creating an unintentional dramatic pause.


    ¡°All members of the hunting group were killed. Some of the deaths were caused by normal means, like slashing or piercing wounds. Others were more unnatural. These include the draining of all life essence by way of manifestation of an abyssal leach inside the body, and the disappearance of the heart. This happened without any noticeable wounds from the outside.¡±Eleura felt her headache grow.


    ''That definitely sounds like someone with the ability to manipulate reality. It seems that Milgrim at least completed the mission to some extent. Obviously not completely, or else we wouldn¡¯t be having this conversation right now.¡¯


    ¡°To summarise, we have two unknown individuals, with at least one of them being capable of reality manipulation, running around. I assume you have calculated, using the position of the camp and the site of the incident, where they will be heading?¡± The woman nodded her head. She was definitely more useful than Eleura¡¯s previous assistant.


    ¡°Their approximated path should lead them directly to Seran.¡± Eleura almost released a sigh of relief. Finally, things were starting to look up. ¡°Inform me of anyone who enters the city and if deemed necessary detain them. If this is the test subject, then they are extremely dangerous. Don''t cause a big commotion or let any members know of this. Hell, pay the local assassin guild to do it.¡±


    At long last, a small smile played across the assistant¡¯s lips. ¡°It just so happens that two individuals arrived in Seran this noon. Our informants in the city guard heard about them.¡± A smile lit up Eleura''s face. ¡°See to it that the assassin guild captures them. I expect utmost professionalism from them. There should be a picture of the test subject in one of the folders on Project: Daemonium Renatus. Give it to them and make sure that they handle it quickly. ¡±

 Tough Conversations

    A knock on my door brought me from my stupor. Without prompting, it opened and Pecta strolled in with a small bag over his shoulder. He closed the door and sat down on the chair with crossed legs. ¡°Well, that could have gone better.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± I asked, genuinely curious. ¡°Looked pretty normal to me.¡± Pecta shrugged. ¡°For one, I would have preferred to use different names from the ones we used at the gate. Also, having a failing City Lord is a recipe for disaster.¡± I didn¡¯t understand his concerns. ¡°Why should we have lied about our names? That sounds unnecessary. And the City Lord isn¡¯t our problem, right?¡± It was probably bad for the running of the settlement to have an incompetent human leading it, but that shouldn¡¯t affect us.


    Pecta leaned back and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re probably right. Just me being paranoid.¡± He briefly looked out the window before setting his sights on me. ¡°I didn''t get the chance to ask earlier, but how are you doing?" I shifted uncomfortably. "I''m... fine, I think," I replied. "Did you want to discuss something?"


    Pecta nodded and poured out the contents of his bag onto the table. They included my magic dagger, some miscellaneous items, and a lot of brown and silver coins. ¡°We need to discuss our plan. With this, we won¡¯t have to worry about money for some time. However, we need to be careful. The guards will send a message to the Merchant¡¯s Union, informing them of the fate of their caravan.¡±


    What he didn¡¯t say, was that this message would no doubt reveal that I hadn¡¯t been part of the caravan. I would have loved to just take my time in exploring the human settlement but that wasn¡¯t to be. ¡°How long do I have?¡±


    Pecta thought for a moment. ¡°Sending a message will take time. Probably a couple of weeks. We should discuss what we will do during this time.¡± I nodded my head and asked the first question that sprang to mind. "How are messages transported?¡±


    ¡°Most letters have to be transported by caravan,¡± he explained. ¡°If you have money, and I mean a lot of it, then there are the Beast Messengers. They are all part of an organisation that tames monsters and uses them to deliver messages. Bunch of crazy people if you ask me, but their services are very popular. Luckily for us, the Merchant¡¯s Union and the Beast Messengers currently aren¡¯t on very good terms, so it is unlikely that they can use their services.¡±


    I nodded my head, a human custom that I very much liked, and gave a questioning look towards the other items on the table. Pecta got the hint and started to explain. ¡°This is some of the stuff the bandits had on them, which I thought looked valuable.¡± I took a look at the items he had put on the table, not finding them very useful. I picked up a headband and inspected it. ¡°How is this valuable?¡± Pecta pointed at a seemingly random spot on the fabric. I squinted and could just make out a series of symbols. Preempting my question, Pecta explained, ¡°This is an artifact blessed by Vesta, Goddess of Wind. It used to belong to the leader of the caravan before he was killed. From his boasting, it keeps the wearer cool and protects them from the sun.¡±


    ¡°What is the sun? Some kind of monster?¡± I curiously asked. If so then the artifact sounded very useful. Instead of answering, my companion just stared at me. It got to a point where I was starting to feel uncomfortable before he again started speaking. ¡°You are joking, right?¡±


    I shook my head. Pecta pointed exasperated towards the ceiling. ¡°The sun! Large floating orange ball in the sky that gives us warmth and light? Ever heard of it?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± I nodded my head. ¡°The light disk.¡± Pecta stared into my eyes, trying to see if I was serious, before giving up and moving along. ¡°Anyways, this and some of the other items will make life a whole lot easier for us. This headband alone will save me from having to buy salfar cream. Before you ask, salfar cream is used to protect the skin from the sun and has to be reapplied every week. We humans need it to be able to survive in the desert.¡± That was certainly interesting. The changes to this body had made it stronger, more durable, and apparently immune against the sun. Living with a parasite had its positives.


    ¡°I will check when the next caravan leaves Seran. Living in the middle of the Scorching Barrens has no appeal to me,¡± Pecta said, outlining his plan to me. ¡°This brings me to my main question: what are your plans? In a couple of weeks, the city guard will realise that the follower of Noctus they let enter lied to them. Things will probably get problematic for you but I am sure that you could just hunker it out until they forget. Trust me, city guards have always more pressing matters to attend to.¡±


    Before Pecta had entered my room I had been debating that exact question. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll probably explore the city for now. Maybe I will join you in leaving with the next caravan. Or maybe not.¡± I truly wanted to stay by Pecta¡¯s side but I also wanted to explore the world. For now it was best to leave all my options open.


    Pecta nodded as if he had expected my answer. He scooped up most of the items but left a stack of coins and my dagger on the table. ¡°This is half of what the bandits had on them. Once I sell some of these items I will also give you half of the earnings. You can do whatever you want with it. Go out, explore the city, and have some fun. Though I recommend that you leave some for the future.¡± He looked at me oddly. ¡°You don¡¯t know how money works, right?¡± At my nod, he sighed and started to explain.


    There were three types of coins: copper, silver, and gold. They were sometimes referred to as knights, princes, and kings. Why pieces of metal were called human titles was a question that my companion didn¡¯t have an answer to. He did have an answer to why there were two separate names for the currency. People outside the Sanktrum Kingdom only used copper/silver/gold while knight/prince/king was exclusive to the kingdom. Over time the two classifications had mixed so now it was more up to preference what someone used. I personally liked the second one better because it sounded more interesting.


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    These three types could each be divided into big and small coins. 10 small copper coins/knights made one big copper coin/knight. 10 big copper coins/knights made one small silver coin/prince, and so on. My split of the loot amounted to 4 princes and two big knights.


    According to Pecta, one prince was equal to one month of work for the lower class. Realising what kind of fortune he had just given me made me nervous. ¡°Isn¡¯t it risky to give me all this money?¡±


    Pecta thought for a second. ¡°Thieves should be very common in a city like Seran. So¡­ please go easy on them.¡± I cocked my head in confusion. ¡°What do you mean?¡± My companion averted his eyes. ¡°Honestly? After everything I''ve seen, I don''t want to be the thief who tries to steal from you.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°You''re being overly dramatic. I''m not that bad.¡±


    "8 bandits.¡±


    "What?"


    ¡°Nothing."


    I blinked before moving on. ¡°Why give me this money? You could have just taken all of it and I wouldn¡¯t be wiser. I wouldn¡¯t even blame you.¡± Pecta shifted uncomfortably. It was obvious that my question had struck a nerve, something that I hadn¡¯t intended for it to do. I was just about to retract my statement when he started speaking.


    ¡°Before entering your room I had no plans of giving you this money. A voice in the back of my head told me that you wouldn¡¯t know how to use it and that I needed it more. Excluding my part of the loot, I am poor. Just taking the money perfectly alines with some of my... past experiences. Giving part of it to you was a split-second decision. One that the voice in my head is still screaming about.¡± He gave out a derogatory laugh. ¡°Look at me, debating whether or not to give my traveling companion the reward that he deserves. It¡¯s pathetic. I follow Persa and yet I do it. Truly, I am a failure in the eyes of my goddess and as a good human being.¡±


    A moment of silence settled between us. ''Should I say something? I like him - he is my best and only companion - which makes me partially responsible for making him feel good, I think?'' The problem was that I didn''t know what to say. I had only been alive for a short period of time and I already had to deal with the complicated emotions of a human. Why was life so hard?!


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you are a bad human being,¡± I started. "I''m not going to act like I know what you''re going through or what happened in your past. I don''t know what is right or wrong with you humans, but I do know that you¡¯re a good person. You helped me, even though you could have simply left me to die after the bandit fight. It probably made the way to Seran way more difficult, but you did it anyway.¡± Pecta frowned. ¡°That isn¡¯t anything to be proud of. Anyone would have done the same.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± I pointed with my finger at him. ¡°The fact that you think that doing it is obviously the right thing proves my point. It doesn¡¯t matter what anyone, even a goddess, thinks of you. You are a good person.¡±


    The silence that filled the room was oppressive. ''That was a good speech, I think?'' I waited with bated breath for his reaction. A small smile crept across his face and a chuckle escaped him. That chuckle turned into full-blown laughter. ''Laughter is good.'' It took a while for it to die down and when it did the smile remained on his face.


    "Thanks. I didn''t expect that from you." I awkwardly smiled back at him. Pecta got up and took the bag of items off the table, leaving me a smaller bag to put my money in. "It''s time for me to go. I would tell you that the gods will guide your way, but I''ve got a feeling that doesn''t mean much to you. If you need anything, just leave a message in my room.¡± With that, he turned around and left. The thud of the door closing was the only sound that broke the silence.


    I like that guy. The voice in my head made me jump up in a panic and frantically look around the room. After a moment I got my emotions under control and sat back down. "Oh, it''s only you Sarvad. Where have you been? I mean, obviously in my head, but why am I only hearing back from you now?"


    There was a slight problem with the parasite. It was stronger than I expected. After you left, it launched a much more powerful offensive. That you haven''t been able to feel it is all my doing. Without me you wouldn¡¯t exist anymore.


    ¡°And I am thankful for that. Now that we have the chance to finally talk, could you explain some stuff to me? How did you get trapped in the mindscape? Why am I controlling your body? Why-¡°


    Enough of that. You will have your answers. I sighed in relief. But first, there is a little favour I have to ask of you. I shrugged. ¡°Go ahead and ask.¡± I was disappointed and a bit frustrated to have to wait but I owed Sarvad. Even if I didn¡¯t understand it all, I was the reason why he was stuck in the mind scape.


    There is this woman. I don¡¯t know her name but people have called her Knowledge Seeker, Administrator, and other titles. Find her. That is the first part of the favour. I frowned. ¡°How am I supposed to recognise-¡° Suddenly an image filled my head. A tall figure wearing a white coat and a featureless mask. At first, I thought she was human but then my eyes noticed the irregularity. ¡°Horns?¡± Two brown curved horns were growing on top of her head. I was immediately fascinated by the thought of a different sentient species. ¡°Where can I find her?¡±


    She will be hiding somewhere here in Seran. Could be close to the underground or maybe the nobles. It doesn¡¯t matter, just find her! The last sentence was spoken with so much emotion that I had to process it for a second. ¡°That still isn¡¯t a lot of information. Sarvad? Sarvad?¡± But he was already gone.


    Sarvad¡¯s request was strange but I at least owed him that. My gaze landed on the coins. Maybe I would find her while exploring the city. Quickly scooping up all the money (which wasn¡¯t exactly easy with my claw) I headed to the door. Suddenly, I noticed a pair of eyes on the wall. I jumped back, while the figure did the same. It took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out that I was staring at a reflection of myself. Come to think of it, Pecta had said that my face was unique. Why was that? Curious, I stepped forward and removed my bandages.


    The first thing to note was my pale skin. In comparison to any other human I had ever seen, my body looked downright sickly. My head was all devoid of any type of hair, making it look even more unusual. Like the rest of my body, it was also covered in scars, that looked methodical in their placement. Amidst the scars, my eyes were piercing, like blue bonfires of resolve. The circular pupils stared back at me with such an intensity, that I almost averted my gaze. Just below them was a rather unremarkable nose, that was followed by a mouth filled with white teeth. I looked different from any other human, even without my claw.


    I shook my head. That was all interesting but I had a city to explore. Grabbing my things, I exited my room, ready for whatever Seran would throw at me.

 Pecta Time

    Pecta pulled the cloak over his head, looked around the busy street, and quickly joined the mass of people. He felt uncomfortable, the warmth from the earlier conversation having evaporated. In these crowded streets, it was hard to spot possible pursuers or quickly escape from the city guards. Someone with a hidden dagger could simply walk up to him, stab him, and quickly disappear into the crowd.


    Pecta knew that these thoughts were illogical. The chances of someone knowing him here were slim to none and he hadn''t committed anything against the law - yet. He shook his head to get rid of the negative thoughts and quickened his pace.


    His first stop was one of the announcement boards that all cities had. His journey only took around ten minutes, but when he stepped into the open space a grisly yet all too familiar sight awaited him.


    Slowly swaying in the wind, a corpse hung from the gallows. Pecta internally cringed. The gallows were built from emerald wood instead of normal wood, but other than that they looked the same. His hometown of Wirmaw was famous across the kingdom for its criminal underground. This led the leaders to ever more desperate methods to curtail the lawlessness. How many people had Pecta already seen hanged? Too many.


    He reluctantly looked at the corpse again. Despite the blessing across the city that regulated the temperature, the heat was enough to make it stink to the high heavens. Hopefully, the guards would have the fellow down before the maggots showed up.


    Something he noticed was that the corpse didn''t have any fingers. The punishment for stealing was usually the removal of a couple of fingers, but it normally wasn''t followed by hanging. Asking a random passerby he got the full story.


    "Ah, that¡¯s Lukin. A thief who did his business in these parts. Poor guy tried to steal from a High Lord and it didn''t end well. We weren¡¯t close but I do feel sorry for him.¡±


    The former criminal''s mood soured even more at that. Nobility always got benefits. It didn''t matter where in the world you went, if something bad happened to a noble it was always more horrible than if it happened to a dirt-poor peasant.


    He quickly moved away from that thought. If he dwelled too long on it, his mind would devolve into pointless rambling that helped nobody. The system would never change, no matter how long he complained about it.


    With one last look at the poor fellow hanging in the wind, Pecta moved to the announcement board on the side of the road. His eyes scanned the board before landing on the relevant information. Most of it was illegible to him but the important parts were always represented with symbols to make understanding them easier. He winced a bit when he saw the date of the next caravan¡¯s departure. 2 weeks.


    Vindict would be thrilled at the extra time, but Pecta wasn''t happy. 2 more weeks in this god-forsaken burning hell hole. Whatever species Vindict was wasn¡¯t strongly affected by the heat, but Pecta was a human who could feel it all too well.


    Thinking of his companion made him consider the strange circumstances they had met under. He had been so sure that he was about to die in that cursed desert. It was a fact that he had accepted and a small part of him even welcomed it. Then, out of nowhere, a stranger showed up and gave him a chance to continue living. A path forward.


    It felt too surreal to be a random act of luck, so Pecta was faced with the real possibility that his goddess hadn''t abandoned him. Later conversations with Vindict had strengthened this belief. Vindict waking up in the middle of the desert, just so picking the direction required to meet him, and arriving in the nick of time to save him? Was it selfish to believe that this wasn¡¯t just some coincidence? Maybe Vindict was lying but he didn¡¯t strike Pecta as someone to do that.


    After Pecta had decided to become a follower of Persa, he had spent countless hours on his knees and praying. He gave almost everything he had as an offering and waited for the goddess to grant him forgiveness for his sins.


    Nothing happened. No matter how much he prayed nothing happened. Over time he began to lose hope in the gods and his praying dropped off. They had abandoned him and a part of him could understand why.


    Taking the job as a caravan guard hadn¡¯t been just about the money. Pecta was a skilled fighter who could have gotten a much safer and well-paying job. He had known of the dangers but hadn¡¯t cared. He moved through life like an empty husk and this could have been the release he needed. The release he deserved.


    And then Vindict appeared. A clear sign from Persa that she hadn''t abandoned him. His inhuman qualities would have been a deterrent for many but Pecta hadn¡¯t minded. He knew that almost nothing separated a sentient monster from a human.


    At first, he thought that this stranger was supposed to guide him on his journey of forgiveness. But the more he learned about him, the more he realised how wrong that assumption was. Vindict was clueless about the world. Not to say that he wasn''t capable, but he simply didn''t have the qualities of a guide.


    Pecta had thought a lot about both of their places in the greater scheme of things and during Vindict¡¯s time unconscious he came up with a possible answer: What if there was no one to guide him on his path? Maybe his trial was to BE the guide for another lost soul. Was this how he gained redemption? It was the only idea that made sense to him.


    "Huh, never imagine myself to be a guide," Pecta muttered. A passerby threw him a strange look. Sadly, he still had a couple of things to do before meeting back up with Vindict.


    ¡®I hate this¡¯. Pecta threw another glance around the dimly lit room while sipping his drink. The bar was half full with other gloomy-looking individuals occupying the tables. Pretty surprising considering the time of day.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Most were sitting alone or quietly talking in small groups. Pecta was one of the ones sitting alone at the bar, listening in on a duo that was seated at the table behind him. Most of their conversation had revolved around the local whore house but some useful information was still said.


    Information. That was the reason for his visit to the poorer parts of the city. No matter where you were, every city had its dark underbelly and Seran was no exception. Pecta disliked this area, and not because of the reasons other upstanding citizens would dislike it here.


    All of this felt a bit too familiar to him and that was making him uncomfortable. Still, he had to push through and get as much information as possible. ¡®We will be staying here for a while so information gathering should be our number one priority¡¯. And the place where you could get the best information for free - at least the one that would help you survive - came from seedy bars like this one.


    After a couple of drinks, people developed a loose tongue. He took another sip of his drink. It was called Prickly Pride, a local specialty according to the bartender. Made from some kind of special plant that only grew in the Scorching Barrens.


    At first, Pecta found it surprising that anything could grow in this hell hole, but after a sip, he was relieved to find that it tasted absolutely horrid. He had almost believed that the desert wasn''t just a pile of bobar shit. Anyway, back to useful information that can be found in sketchy bars.


    From talking and listening in on a couple of conversations he quickly learned that Seran''s criminal world was pretty tame, at least compared to Pecta¡¯s hometown. The Noble House of Altan kept a very tight grip on the city, which prevented the rise of a big criminal gang.


    Of course, they existed, but most stayed out of each other''s way and made sure not to step on the noble house¡¯s toes. This made the presence of an assassin guild even more surprising. The ruling class often found assassin guilds extremely distasteful, and they were highly illegal.


    The reason for that was the fact that they took contracts from anybody who had enough money, which made it very possible for one of the nobles to land on the wrong side of a dagger. From what Pecta had heard about the City Lord, he was a very cautious, some might call it paranoid, man. For an assassin guild to survive in such a landscape, much less thrive, was very confusing. They would have to be extremely secretive for that to work. But since he got the information about their existence from some random drunk in a bar he doubted it.


    The duo behind him paid the serving wench and left. Pecta sighed and also stood up to leave when suddenly the doors to the bar slammed open.


    Everyone in the room snapped their attention to the exit and tensed. He could see several men laying their hands on various weapons hidden beneath their clothes. Pecta also got ready by grabbing the pommel of his sword.


    Two figures stood at the entrance, both wearing yellow cloaks that obscured their features. A tension-filled silence that was only interrupted by the sound of the pair''s footsteps as they strolled in like they owned the place filled the room.


    "Attention scum and drunks, this is an announcement by the Desert Vipers!" A female voice called out. "If you want to make some coins listen up. There are two wanted men in this city and we are being paid to find them. Anyone who can give us a hint about their location will get a big knight. For anyone who can bring one of them to us, there will be a whole prince."


    Excited whispering filled the room. A prince was probably more than anyone here made in a month. The whispering stopped as soon as the second cloaked figure started speaking in a deep voice.


    "We do hope that none of you are dumb enough to try and fool us. The Desert Vipers don''t take kindly to that. Say, Karia, what happened to the last guy who thought he could lie to us?" The first figure, Karia apparently, crackled gleefully. "I still remember his face. Those empty eyes and those wonderful screams. It''s a shame he only lasted eight hours."


    Pecta shuddered. He had met a couple of monsters like her in his time on the streets and most of them still haunted his dreams. Not the literal kind of monster. The human kind.


    ¡®The Desert Vipers. That must be the assassin guild.¡¯ Who else could barge into a bar full of criminals and not worry about the consequences? Pecta wanted to leave as fast as possible but decided to wait until these obviously dangerous assassins had left. He wouldn''t want to be in the shoes of the people they were hunting.


    The second assassin pulled two pieces of rolled-up parchment from his cloak and handed them to his female partner. She unrolled them and showed the contents to the whole room. Pecta gulped. ''Fuck''.


    Staring back at him was his own face. Granted, he didn''t think his nose was that big and the hair on the poster was a bit too long, plus the picture made him look way older. Still, Pecta was able to identify himself in the sketch.


    The second poster wasn¡¯t visible from his position in the bar but he would bet anything that he knew who was on it. His fears were confirmed by the muttering that filled the bar. The words ¡®follower of the shadow god¡¯ didn¡¯t just come up in casual conversation.


    How did these people have sketches of them? Pecta''s mind raced until it suddenly clicked. ''The guards! They are the only ones who saw us for an extended period of time.¡¯ It could have also been the innkeeper but if that was the case then the assassins wouldn¡¯t be looking for them in this place.


    But why would the guards draw a wanted poster for a criminal assassin guild? Maybe they were corrupt but that didn¡¯t align with his information. From what he heard, House Altan should have a tight hold on them. By the end of his little mind rant his breathing started to come out panicked.


    ''Deep breathes''. In. Out. In. Out. He sneakily glanced around the room to see whether his little slip-up had been noticed. Luckily, all of the patrons were focused on the wanted posters.


    ¡¯Why the hell are we even being hunted?'' With all his panicking that thought only now crossed his mind. He wasn''t being hunted for stealing from a noble or betraying someone. This was a brand new city where no one knew his name. None of the individuals or groups he had pissed off should have enough power to get him here. So, why was he being hunted? The answer to that was that he wasn''t being hunted. At least not for something he had done.


    Could it be that he was being hunted because of his new companion? Vindict had told him his story, but was it possible he had lied? Maybe he was only playing the clueless stranger and instead was using him for his own gain. Maybe he was just like -


    ''No''. This was the wrong direction for his thoughts to head in. He simply didn''t have enough information. And besides, he didn''t think Vindict was lying. He would have to be the best actor the gods had ever created to pull that off. No, for now, Pecta needed to regroup with him so that they could find a solution together.


    Suddenly, another cloaked individual entered the bar and made a beeline for the assassins. The person leaned in and whispered something to the second assassin. After nodding he turned to his female companion.


    ¡°They found the place.¡± All three of them quickly exited the room, taking the wanted posters with them. Unhappy mumbling filled the bar, as people realised that they wouldn¡¯t be getting any money. Soon the crowd settled down and it was almost like that whole incident hadn¡¯t happened.


    Pecta paid his tab and headed outside. His mind was racing. That third assassin hadn¡¯t said that they had found their target. Only ¡®the place¡¯. Were they talking about the inn they were staying in? If so Pecta needed to hurry. Vindict had no idea about this new danger and would walk straight into a trap. The sun was already setting, making Pecta change his walk to a sprint. He couldn¡¯t let that happen.

 Musically Guided Epiphany

    My time in the desert where only my thoughts had kept me company hadn''t prepared me for this city. Sure, the time I spent with Pecta had helped me get used to social interactions, but that couldn''t compare to what I was experiencing right now.


    Like in a trance, I pushed through the crowd of humans going about their day-to-day lives. When we had entered the city together Pecta had rushed us along, not giving me the ability to properly take in my surroundings. But now I had the time to look at Seran in all its glory.


    After leaving the inn I started heading deeper into the city. At first, the buildings lining the street all looked the same. Some were slightly bigger or smaller than others, but they were all rectangular and made from sandstone. The street was made from the same material and most of the people walking on it wore sand-coloured clothing. A colour mix that I had gotten used to in the desert.


    But then it suddenly changed. Colourful cloth started hanging from building to building, creating intricate shadows on the streets. People started wearing more beautiful and exotic clothing. A mesmerising array of different aromas assaulted my nose and the noise level rose dramatically as humans started shouting about various things they were selling.


    All of these stimulants were fascinating but also overwhelming. Moving to the side of the street I leaned against a house to create some space between me and the humans. Slowly, I started acclimating to all these new senses.


    I unconsciously tried to lift my claw to scratch an itch on my nose but was met with resistance. A sigh of annoyance left me when I remembered the leather band which was binding my claw to my body. The strap made sure that I wouldn¡¯t accidentally reveal my claw and that the cloak didn''t leave it exposed.


    Of course, I had the strength to easily rip my arm free, but I wouldn¡¯t do it unless of an emergency. For now, I would have to live with this small inconvenience.


    But even with my non-human features hidden, I was still garnering some occasional glances and distasteful expressions. Most of them were from humans who were dressed more elaborately than the average citizen. They didn¡¯t know that I was a monster so why were they looking at me like that?


    My assumption lay with my clothing. It wasn¡¯t very pretty and it identified me as a follower of an unpopular god. Pecta had explained that to me but I still couldn¡¯t understand why others would dislike me because of the god that I worshipped. Without really understanding the concept, I knew that it didn¡¯t affect them in any way. Being biased because of something like that just felt strange to me. Maybe it was a human thing?


    None of those people actually approached me, so I ignored them. Even if it made me slightly angry, I wouldn¡¯t engage somebody like that. After becoming more comfortable with the surrounding atmosphere I pushed off the wall and headed deeper.


    To keep myself from freezing in place, I started focusing on one sense at a time. First, the smell. There was so much variety. From spicy aromas that almost made me sneeze, to sweet smells that made my mouth water. One of these smells made me shift my course and head for a stall manned by a human man.


    He was preparing some kind of meat on a stick that was covered in an orange sauce. Seeing me approach, he nodded and handed me a skewer. Absentmindedly I placed a big knight on the counter and bit into it.


    The meat was soft and juicy, while almost melting in my mouth. The sauce, on the other hand, added a spicy sweetness to the mix that perfectly complemented the meat. An ecstatic moan left my mouth and I quickly took another bite. Juice dripped down my chin but I didn¡¯t care. This was the greatest experience of my life!


    I almost didn¡¯t notice when the cook slid me 8 knights back. A big knight was worth 10 regular ones so that meat skewer cost 2 knights. I didn¡¯t know if that was much but for me, it was definitely worth it. Immediately I bought 2 more skewers.


    Cheerfully munching on my meat I waved goodbye to the human who waved back while smiling. He was happy, I was happy, the world was happy. How many moments of happiness had I experienced since my creation? Few, very few. The world up to this point had been a brutal struggle between life and death. Maybe it didn¡¯t have to be this way.


    After this experience, my walk had an extra step to it and I eagerly continued exploring the rest of the city. Besides the great food, there was a variety of different things to see. Watching all the vibrant colours flow by me was beautiful and brought a smile to my face. The normal buildings had also been replaced by even larger structures. Some of the architecture I saw made me doubt reality.


    The amazement finally made me come out of my shell and I started talking with the different people. Most of them were happy to answer my questions about the city, though some looked at my appearance and ignored me. My answer to that was to ignore them back.


    Stopping at a statue of a female human, I eagerly listened to a lecture about Saya, Matriarch of Sand, who single-handedly made the colonisation of the Scorching Barrens possible. Hearing about the achievements of humans in this world was very interesting. Although, the fact that no other species were mentioned made me a bit disheartened.


    Suddenly, I stopped. A human almost bumped into me and started cursing, but I ignored him. Through the veil of shouting I could faintly hear a sound that made my heart beat faster. I didn''t know what it was, but it was beautiful.


    My feet started moving on their own, pushing me through the busy street. The sound got louder but never lost its softness. A small crowd separated me from the source, but I simply pushed through, absentmindedly muttering apologies. When I saw the source of it my breath caught in my throat.


    The sound came from a human female who was sitting on a simple chair. Her eyes were closed and a small smile played across her lips. But her face wasn''t what drew my attention. Her fingers were the real centerpiece. The slim appendages floated with an otherworldly elegance across the object in her lap.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    She plucked the strings that were strung across the item as swiftly as the wind but with a loving touch. I had never seen something like that. No, that wasn''t entirely true. One of the mercenaries at the camp had used a similar instrument. But compared to her he had been a pale and lifeless imitation. My eyes were transfixed on her graceful movements. I didn''t know how long I looked at them, but after a while, my gaze slid back to her face.


    There was something there that was making me feel uncomfortable. It wasn''t a simple unpleasant emotion, like anger or sadness, but something more complicated. Something that was making my stomach twist.


    Stop staring at that girl and get going! You have a job to do.


    Sarvad''s voice broke me out of my stupor. ¡®Have you decided whether or not to stop ignoring me?¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to anger him but I was slowly losing my patience. He would randomly pop up, talk to me, and then disappear. It was very frustrating. ¡®Also, what job?¡¯


    Finding the woman. Without me, you wouldn¡¯t be in control of this body and for that, I asked one simple favour. But what do you do? Ignore my request and frolic around.


    I sighed, all the irritation leaving me. ¡®I¡¯m sorry. But where do you want me to look? Seran is huge.¡¯


    I don¡¯t care! Just find her! Find her! I flinched at his intensity. A pause followed and I could almost hear Sarvad take a deep breath. That wasn¡¯t nice of me. Just¡­ do your best and find her.


    I mumbled another sorry. Finishing his task should be a priority, considering all he had to suffer through because of me. It would be difficult but I owed it to him to at least try.


    I turned to leave when I heard something jingle. When I looked back I noticed a wooden bowl in front of the female human. Another human had thrown a coin into it, where it had landed on a couple of other coins. It didn¡¯t seem to be necessary to pay her for the music but others still did.


    I looked at the four princes in my pouch. One prince was equal to around a month of work for someone of the lower class, according to Pecta. This human had made me feel a slew of brand-new emotions, some of which I still couldn¡¯t place. Without thinking about it, I threw one into the bowl. She deserved it.


    The musician hadn''t reacted to my offering and it seemed as if she hadn''t even noticed me. Should I say something? No, you shouldn¡¯t. You gave her some money, so leave! You are blocking the view for anyone who wants to see her play.


    My cheeks flushed in embarrassment as I quickly turned around and walked away. This was just all so new and interesting. I passed many more merchants and musicians but I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about that human.


    Her music still reached my ear and struck something inside of me. The sounds were beautiful and they conjured up the image of her hands. Their grace and confidence. The thought of them brought back an image of her face and that uncomfortable feeling.


    What was causing that? She had looked... happy? No, that wasn''t the special thing. I had seen countless humans walking the street who looked happy and none of them had impacted me like that. This was something else. Something more than simple happiness. She had looked at peace. She had found her purpose in life and was happy with it.


    It suddenly clicked with me. I wanted what she had. That feeling of having found what you were always destined to do and embracing it. I was jealous of her.


    Wincing, I waited for a mocking comment from Sarvad. From what I gather from him he wasn¡¯t a big fan of distracting feelings. He was also very open in voicing his opinion, at least when he was available.


    But the comment never came. All I felt from him was a tentative feeling of agreement. It seemed that the original owner of this body also hadn''t found his purpose in life. At least not before being made into a passenger inside his own body.


    I shivered at the thought. His situation had already sounded bad enough but now I was grasping the full extent of it. Not being able to control your own body and watching someone else make all your decisions was a frightening thought.


    Now I was even more curious about Sarvad¡¯s story. What happened to him? And more importantly, what role did I play in it? My inner companion was very tight-lipped about what had happened to him. At first, I assumed that he didn¡¯t trust me. But slowly I was starting to suspect that he also didn¡¯t truly know.


    <hr>


    ¡°The crime rate this month was lower than the previous month. My men have reported significantly fewer murders and thefts. The harsher punishments seem to be keeping the population in check.¡± City Lord Vatus looked bored while the guard commander made his report. Same old, same old. He cared not for the state of this sorry excuse of a city.


    Not seeing a reaction from the City Lord, the commander shuffled nervously. After gathering enough courage he continued. ¡°Employing the assassin guild to target organised criminals has worked but I worry that they are gaining too much influence.¡± At the disapproving stare, the man stammered. ¡°Not that I doubt your wisdom City Lord! I am sure that you have everything figured out.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡± Vatus couldn¡¯t care less about some upstart assassin guild. They were making his job easier. If they got too big of a head then he would just have them executed.


    The commander cleared his throat. ¡°I have reports of several unexplained disappearances. They started a couple of months ago but we can¡¯t find the source.¡± The City Lord grunted in disinterest. ¡°Who is it affecting?¡±


    ¡°Well, mostly beggars, prostitutes, and-¡° ¡°Then it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Vatus interrupted him. ¡°I won¡¯t have you wasting my time and money with something so trivial. Now be gone.¡± The commander looked unhappy but he complied with the command of his lord. Vatus sighed and leaned back on his throne.


    He had spoken the truth about not caring for these disappearances. As long as the Institution kept their agreement then it didn¡¯t matter how many unwanted they took. They were doing Seran a favour by keeping it clean.


    Suddenly, the door to the throne room swung open and a cloaked figure entered. The guards didn¡¯t react, their eyes having glazed over. Vatus knew that they would soon return to normal and forget everything that happened. The Administrator stepped in front of him and removed her cloak. When you speak of a demon¡­


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Vatus asked with contempt. He was benefiting from their work but that didn¡¯t mean he had to like them. Luckily for him, Panzinho also wasn¡¯t one for pleasantries. ¡°We may require the use of the city guard for the coming days.¡± The City Lord frowned. ¡°Did one of your experiments escape?¡± The Administrator remained stone-faced. ¡°You are not granted access to such information.¡±


    Vatus leaned forward in his chair and growled, ¡°Remember your place. I could have your entire operation shut down with a flick of my finger.¡± For the first time during this conversation, the Administrator smiled. ¡°You won¡¯t do that.¡±


    Before the City Lord could threaten her more she held up a hand. ¡°Do you want the rest of the Kingdom to know that you¡¯ve been working with one of its biggest enemies? The Queen already isn¡¯t happy with you, so I¡¯d imagined that your head would end up on the chopping block. But even disregarding that, you still wouldn¡¯t hurt us.¡±


    Vatus raised an eyebrow. ¡°And why is that?¡± He asked. The Administrator responded, ¡°Because you need us to get revenge. Your banishment to the Scorching Barrens would be eternal without our help. Our arrangement is simple: you let us work in peace and we supply you with the necessary tools to gain power. You won¡¯t throw this opportunity away.¡±


    City Lord Vatus leaned back in his chair with an unhappy expression. She was correct. ¡°I permit you to use the city guard. Anything else?¡± Eleura smiled. ¡°There are several things pertaining to our operation that we need to discuss.¡±


    Vatus stood up and walked past her. ¡°Follow me to my carriage. I can at least enjoy the city while we talk.¡± He would have loved nothing more than just dismissing her but sadly that wasn¡¯t an option. With a nod and a smile, the Administrator followed him.

 The Thirst for Revenge

    I bit into my pastry while watching the humans scurry along. The ingredients were a mystery to me but I loved its sweet taste. And for only 6 knights I managed to buy two of them. While chewing I considered my options.


    Exploring the city had been fun but I had made virtually no progress in finding Sarvad¡¯s target. Not surprising considering the size of the city and the fact that I had very little information to go off of. I asked around for someone with her description but no one knew anything.


    At least my inner companion was starting to become more proactive. During my exploration, we would periodically talk before he went silent. When he came back, he blamed the parasite for keeping him busy. Speaking of the parasite, Sarvad did reveal some information about it. It consisted of two parts: the claw and the beast.


    Only the claw existed in the physical world, while the beast was a manifestation of it in the mindscape. Of course, that led to the question of what the mindscape was. Sarvad didn¡¯t have a simple answer.


    The mindscape is sort of a small separate layer of reality. Every living being has a unique one that is tethered to its respective body. Its complexity is tied to ¡®the power of the soul¡¯. Most of them aren¡¯t actual places that one can enter. The only reason the mindscape of this body is so complex and able to withstand the parasite is because of my efforts.


    Anyway, a soul is split into two parts - one that resides in the body and one within the mindscape. The tether between them acts as a sort of gateway, through which the parts can interact and even switch places. Most of your soul is currently in the body but if you consciously entered the mindscape then most of it would be there.


    I nodded my head. ¡®So, your soul is only in the mindscape, right?¡¯ Sarvad didn¡¯t answer but I could feel him nod. Whatever happened to him pushed his soul out of this body and entirely into the mindscape. I wanted to clarify what a soul was but my companion failed to answer. Souls were something he didn¡¯t truly understand.


    ¡®What to do now?¡¯ I asked myself. The shadow of a flying messenger monster passed over me but I ignored it. ¡®Maybe I should just head back to the inn¡¯.


    That would probably be a good idea.


    Sarvad¡¯s answer surprised me. ¡®You don¡¯t want me to continue looking for that woman?¡¯ His sudden lack of interest was weird.


    The chances of you finding her are minimal. I wasn¡¯t thinking clearly when I asked you to find her. Instead, I¡¯ll just wait.


    Now I was starting to worry. ¡®What do you mean by that? How would waiting solve the issue?¡¯


    If you won¡¯t find her, she will find you.


    His answer didn¡¯t placate my concerns. It did the opposite. ¡®Why would that woman be interested in me? And even if she was, how would she find me?¡¯


    Sarvad¡¯s laugh was disturbing.


    Oh, don¡¯t worry. She isn¡¯t interested in you. She is interested in this body. That lying asshole wouldn¡¯t just leave her precious research wandering around. Her higher-ups wouldn¡¯t let her.


    Even though I was starting to get answers I wasn¡¯t happy. ¡®Explain yourself¡¯. But he didn¡¯t answer. Taking a deep breath I tried to piece together what I had just heard.


    Sarvad was interested in this non-human woman. At first, I had thought it was because of some form of emotional attachment but the way he spoke about her made me doubt it. The vitriol in his voice made his feelings for her clear.


    Sarvad also had confidence that she would find me. If that was the case then I needed to assume she had a lot of resources on hand. His mention of higher-ups made me think that she was part of a group. That could be bad or good. It depended on her attitude toward me.


    Also, why had Sarvad called me, or this body, research? I wouldn¡¯t call a body research. To research you needed to collect information, do experiments, and-


    The white room. Faceless figures. A bleeding eye.


    I shuddered. The visions. The ones I had during my time in the desert. I hadn¡¯t thought a lot about them, as they had stopped happening. But knowing this¡­ they had been of experiments. Horrific experiments performed on this body. On Sarvad.


    This¡­ was too much for me to handle. I needed to inform Pecta and get ready for the possibility that I would soon meet this woman. A sense of nervousness and slight dread started to fill me.


    ¡°Out of the way!" I was cut off from my thoughts by a loud voice. It belonged to a tall human with gleaming armour and a spear. He and a couple of other such humans were clearing the way for a strange construction on wheels that was slowly being drawn by two reptilian creatures.


    The other pedestrians quickly got out of the way, leading me to follow their example. I wanted to ask what was going on, but one of the armoured humans answered my question before I had a chance to ask it. "Make way for City Lord Vatus! Move along!¡±


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    I bewilderedly looked at the procession, momentarily distracted from my dark thoughts. Was this normal? From the reaction of the citizens this was a common occurrence and not some sort of special event. Pecta had said that the nobles were treated better but now I was able to truly see it. ¡®So extravagant for someone just wanting to travel the city.¡¯ Although, being chauffeured around did look pretty comfortable¡­


    Curious, I tried to get a look at the City Lord through the window. The inside of the construct was very spacious and only occupied by an older-looking human. Vatus, I assumed. But there was something strange about him.


    I frowned. Was he talking to someone? The cabin was empty but I could see his lips moving. His eyes were also focused on the seat across from him. I took a closer look at the empty seat. My head started hurting but I could just make out a distortion in the air.


    ¡®What is that?¡¯ I asked, not expecting an answer.


    That is very interesting.


    I was startled upon hearing Sarvad¡¯s voice. ¡®Finally! Listen, we NEED to talk about your past. If what you said is true then it affects us both.¡¯


    Not now. I just found something interesting.


    His rebuttal wasn¡¯t appreciated. ¡®No, we need to do it now. Who knows how long-¡®


    Shut up.


    I quieted at his harshness. Not bothering to apologise, he continued.


    The City Lord is talking to somebody. They are using an item that affects the mind scape, stopping a normal person from seeing them.


    He chuckled.


    Emphasis on normal. Just a bit and¡­ there.


    Suddenly, I was able to see the second person in the cabin. They were covered in an unassuming cloak, hiding most of their features. Luckily they were looking out the window in my direction, making me see the face.


    A face adorned with short curly brown hair and bright green eyes. She, because it was a female, looked with a disinterested look at the crowd around the carriage. Uncaring, she reached behind her head and pulled back the hood of the cloak. A pair of horns was revealed.


    All this happened in a split second and was suddenly followed by a bone-chilling scream of rage. Sarvad¡¯s voice drowned out all my other thoughts.


    THIS IS ALL HER FAULT! SHE PROMISED ME EVERYTHING, MADE ME THINK THAT THERE WAS AN END TO MY SUFFERING, THAT IT WOULD BE WORTH IT! LIAR! I AM TRAPPED LIKE BEFORE. KILL HER, SLICE HER UP, CUT HER TO PIECES, MAKE HER SUFFER! SHE MUST END.


    Flashes of images filled my head.


    A barren room with a window. People in white coats, standing behind it and taking notes. The woman in the carriage starring at me with a look filled with equal measures of disdain and disinterest. A grotesque creature, reaching out its tentacles towards me. A symbol of an eye, dripping bloody tears with strange words written beneath it. And pain. A lot of pain.


    I gasped and leaned forward. People were looking at me and backing away. Someone asked if I was okay. I couldn''t answer and staggered backward.


    Sarvad¡¯s memories were causing too much pain. Looking up showed me that the occupants of the carriage hadn¡¯t noticed me, but I seemed to have attracted the attention of a pair of guards.


    They were pushing through the crowd towards me. The pain increased. I needed to get away. Not just because of the guards but because of the woman. Her presence was making everything worse. Sarvad¡¯s screams were still filling my head, leaving me dizzy.


    Somehow I pushed through and staggered toward an alley. The crowd parted in front of me, not wanting to be near a strange-acting human. I tried to go faster but it felt like the air was actively pushing me back.


    Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I reached the dark shadows of the alley. My claw needed to remain hidden, which meant that I could only use my right arm to push myself forward. Sarvad¡¯s screams didn¡¯t get louder but a new presence made itself known. Something primal. Something I knew. The beast.


    My mind was a mess of screaming voices, but I couldn''t focus on it right now. The heavy footsteps of the guards made my body tense. END THEIR EXISTENCE. Was I afraid of them? TEAR THEM TO SHREDS. Did I think that they would be able to overpower me? No, I realised and that was what made me afraid. I knew that if a fight broke out, I would be the one to walk away, leaving their corpses in my wake. And some part of me wanted that to happen. To tear my prey to shreds. FEAST ON REALITY AND ALL WHO DWELL WITHIN.


    The beast, no, the parasite wanted this to happen. But I knew that if I let it loose I wouldn''t walk away from this myself. I would be reduced to a prisoner in my own body, only able to watch the outside world. Just like Sarvad.


    RELEASE ME. The voices of the guards reached me but it felt like they were coming from endlessly far away. "What... happening... sickness... follower... probably desert fever... leave him to rot... not worth it."


    Suddenly, a kick caught my back and I stumbled deeper into the alley, sprawling on the dusty ground. I could hear the laughter of the retreating guards. LET ME BE FREE. A burning feeling started in my heart and moved towards my claw. It began to spasm violently and ripped right through the leather strap holding it in place.


    It felt like I was releasing that burning energy through my claw into the world. But right now I couldn¡¯t deal with the consequences. A storm raged inside me, two entities fighting for control. Two distinct powers.


    The first felt overwhelming and ancient. It used its massive power to crash down on its enemy like an unstoppable natural disaster, not needing any form or technique. The other was the exact opposite. Using its superior controls in the mindscape, it carefully controlled the power of the other, rerouting it and not letting it hit.


    Sarvad and the parasite, both fighting for control. No matter who won, I doubted it would end well for me. Although Sarvad had been nice to me, I now realised that it had been a facade. His true self was twisted by hatred and the thirst for revenge. If he won, the consequences wouldn¡¯t be any better than the parasite winning.


    Both of the beings fighting in the mind scape wanted to control my life. To use me for their own ends and then discard me. No. This life was mine and I wouldn''t waste it by dancing to the whims of others. Not now and not ever.


    Placing both hands beneath me I pushed myself into a kneeling position. Both the flow of energy from my claw and the voices in my head seemed to slightly diminish. It was barely noticeable, but it was an improvement.


    ''Deep breaths. One in, one out, one in, one out...'' Pushing myself further I placed one foot beneath me and tried to stand up. My balance was a complete mess and my claw dug into the sandstone of the house next to me. The energy didn''t stop and instead started to flow into the material of the house. Another couple of breaths.


    I was in control of this body. For now. But the hardest challenge was yet to come. The mindscape was a war zone, fought over by two beings who both needed to lose for me to win. No, not to win but to survive. I had to go in and reinstate control.


    I took a deep breath before closing my eyes and focusing on the mindscape. This would be the second time I was there. Hopefully, it would also be the last.

 Battle for Body and Mind

    The barren throne room had slightly changed from my last visit. Gone were the dust and cobwebs, replaced with smooth shining stone. It was still very drab but that could be fixed later.


    A look a the golden throne showed a perfect copy of me sitting there and waving at me. It was dressed in an attire similar to the one worn by the City Lord. This greeting was steps above the one I had received the previous time I had been here.


    From my own experience and what Sarvad had said, this throne room represented the gateway between the mind scape and the body. Whoever controlled it, controlled the body.


    Last time a version of the parasite had sat on it, gaining control of the body for a while. Luckily, I, or rather Sarvad, had been able to wrest it back. Somehow I doubted that this would happen again.


    The building shook. I needed to get out there and do whatever it took to bring back order to the mind scape.


    I waved at my copy on the throne before walking out the door. Flanking the exit were two more copies of me, both wearing plate armour and holding spears. A metal crest-shaped shield was strapped to their clawed arms. They saluted me when I left the room by banging their claws against their chests. Suddenly, a voice rang out around me.


    ¡°Mindscape experiencing drastic turmoil. Integrity of construct at risk. Activating containment measures. ¡­ . Error. ¡­ .Measures require affirmation. Requesting affirmation.¡±


    Confused, I looked around but couldn''t find the source of the voice. It hadn¡¯t sounded like a real person. The voice lacked any sort of emotions and sounded artificial.


    ¡°Eh, hello? Who are you and what are you doing inside here?¡±


    ¡°This entity has been named Automated Defence Assistant of the Mind (ADAM). Its function is to support the User and to keep order in the mind scape.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to react. Discovering another being inside the mind scape came as a shock. First, there was the parasite, then Sarvad, and now this Adam. How many others were in here? And most importantly, could I trust this new addition? I had thought that I could trust Sarvad and that had turned out badly.


    Another tremor reminded me of how little time I had. This was a crisis, which meant that I had little in terms of choices.


    Still hesitant, I asked, "So, you are here to help me, right?"


    "Affirmative."


    If that were true, then this would hopefully make my work easier. ¡°How can you help me?" I inquired.


    ¡°ADAM is equipped with several predetermined Protocols that can be used to neutralise threats.¡±


    The chances of me winning this conflict steadily grew. Before entering the mind scape I had no idea how to defeat Sarvad and the parasite but now there was a light at the end of the tunnel. I took a deep breath and prepared. ¡°Then please help me gain back control of the mindscape.¡±


    ¡°Affirmation from Probational User granted. Processing. Authority not high enough. Requesting affirmation from Former User/Creator. Processing. Denied.¡±


    My growing sense of optimism crashed back down to the ground. "What do you mean denied? Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to stop this chaos?¡±


    "The status of Probational User does not grant access to all Protocols. A Probational User needs the affirmation of another entity with high status. The status of User is required to gain complete control of all Protocols.¡±


    That was the end of my dream of ending this conflict quickly. From what Adam said, the Former User/Creator denied my appeal. I doubted that the parasite held that position, so the only likely suspect was Sarvad.


    Just to be safe I asked Adam for a quick breakdown of all the statuses that were currently held by beings in the mindscape. I was well aware of the fact that I didn¡¯t have much time, but this was important.


    ¡°Probational User: Allowed access to some of the Protocols. Status can only be held if there is no active User or the status is contested.


    Former User: Not allowed access to any Protocols. Can veto some decisions made by the Probational User. If no User or Probational User is found, gains the ability to become User.


    Enemy: Hostile force that destabilises the mind scape. Protocols to remove this entity must be activated by the User or a collaboration between several high-ranked statuses.¡±


    Despite the bleakness of the situation, this explanation gave me an idea. Not a solution but an idea for a possible solution. ¡°Adam, how do I get to become a User?¡±


    "To acquire the role of User, permission needs to be granted by the Former User or their absence needs to be registered.¡±


    This offered me some solutions. Not easy ones, but solutions nonetheless. Sarvad either needed to disappear or he needed to entrust the position onto me. If that happened, Adam would hopefully take care of the parasite. I still held out hope that I would be able to resolve things peacefully with him. However, I needed to be prepared for the eventuality that I would have to fight him.


    I was about to run off when I remembered something. "Hey Adam, you said that as a Probational User, I have access to some Protocols. Which ones can I use?"


    "Two passive Protocols have been activated. Protocol 3: Royal Guards, and Protocol 6: Aura of Suppression. Function:


    - Creation of guards that follow the orders of the Probational User


    - Partial suppression of entity¡¯s abilities to manipulate mental essence (Probational User excluded)¡±


    I looked at the two well-equipped guards that were guarding the throne room and smiled. An impossible task just turned into a very difficult task. Suddenly Adam chimed back in.


    ¡°Attempted breach ongoing. It is advised that the Probational User head towards the exit.¡±


    Cursing, I quickly ran down the hallway towards where I knew the exit to be. I opened the door before me and arrived in the entrance hall of the building. ''Wait, wasn''t that way faster than last time? Did the building change because I''m in control?''


    Shaking off that thought, I tried to comprehend the battle currently happening in front of me. The double door that used to block the exit hung on its hinges. Instead of it, three lines of soldiers faced the outside. All of them were exact copies of the throne room guards and were holding off the advances of a much larger force that was trying to storm the building.


    This larger force consisted of identical humans, skilfully wielding an array of different weapons. Everything from swords, spears, daggers, bows, and a couple of other weapons I had never even seen before.


    Despite their obvious skill in their chosen weapons, it was plain to see that the attacking force wasn¡¯t coordinated. For every soldier they killed, three of them would die. Despite that, they were slowly starting to overwhelm my forces.


    If this fighting happened in the physical world, the ground would have been covered in blood and gore. However, this was the mindscape. Instead of blood, every fighter leaked some sort of purple energy. When they ¡®died¡¯ their body would simply disappear instead of falling to the ground.


    For a second I stood there not knowing what to do. The attackers were exact copies of Sarvad. Up until now, I had doubts about whether or not Sarvad had betrayed me. Sure, he wasn¡¯t exactly the nicest and he planned to have me kill someone. But that didn¡¯t mean that he directly betrayed me. Mislead me? Yes. But not betrayal.


    Seeing his copies attack me made everything sink in.


    Anger wasn''t an emotion I had experienced often. Yes, the mage trying to kill me and Pecta had made me angry. The blatant discrimination because of what god people thought I worshipped had made me angry. But this was different.


    It felt like my blood was boiling and a haze of red settled over my vision. My fist was clenched so tightly that it would have been painful back in the physical world. Here I only felt a cool chill spread across my palm. My body took a step forward. The urge to mindlessly attack the copies was immense.


    It took a moment until I managed to calm myself down and drop my anger to a manageable level. It didn¡¯t disappear, instead simmering under the surface and waiting for the right moment.


    I looked toward the ceiling and asked, "Hey Adam, do you have any tips on how to fight inside the mindscape? Is there something special I need to know?¡±


    "That does not fall under ADAM¡¯s duties¡±


    I took a deep breath and was about to lash out at them when I remembered something Sarvad had said:


    ¡®This world is the mindscape and you have to use your intent to change it. Simply think of something and it will happen.''


    ¡°My intent, huh,¡± I muttered. The nausea I had gotten the last time I tried to change something slightly dampened my excitement. ¡°Hopefully, this time it won¡¯t hurt that much."


    Firstly, I needed a weapon and armour. Without much hesitation, I decided on a dagger and leather armour. It was what I had in the physical world and the only equipment I was comfortable with.


    Closing my eyes, I started imagining it. I thought of the feeling of the armour on my body and the roughness of my dagger. Slowly but surely, something started to happen.


    I felt something drain from me and a brief instant of lightheadedness before a familiar weight settled on me. The conjured leather armour looked identical to the one I wore in the physical world, just cleaner and not covered in blood. It also felt much better, with none of the itching and scraping of the real one. Even the dagger felt identical in my hand.


    A rush of power flowed through me from the successful conjuration. Creating something from nothing felt awesome. Getting an idea, I pointed my hand at one of the enemies and imagined it disappearing.


    I felt another force push against my will. My efforts increased, which caused it to suddenly lash out. The loss of energy left me stumbling a couple of steps backward. That had been intense. Frowning, I noticed that this little clash made me feel¡­ empty. Like when I had summoned my equipment, just more.


    ¡°What is this energy I¡¯m using to do this?¡± I questioned, directing it at Adam.


    ¡°Probational User expended mental essence.¡±


    ¡®Huh, interesting¡¯. If I remembered correctly then Sarvad had also mentioned this essence. To change something in the mindscape one had to use mental essence. This realisation made me appreciate the suppression protocol of Adam even more.


    Looking inside, I could feel my storage of mental essence. It was around 80% full and slowly ticking up. Hopefully more than enough to take care of everything.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Closing my eyes again I willed two other objects to materialise. Taking a quick breath I opened them again and rushed toward the just conjured ramp. Now wasn¡¯t the time for thinking but for action.


    Ignoring all of my common sense I jumped and landed in the middle of the group of attackers. With the sound of breaking glass, a chill mist spread from the orb in my hand. For my second conjured object I had materialised one of the orbs that had saved my life in the desert. Lacking a name, I appropriately dubbed them mist bombs.


    Not seeing anything, the enemy ranks were thrown into disarray, allowing my guards to strike. But they weren¡¯t the only ones to fight. Somehow I was able to sense the enemies in my immediate surroundings. Not questioning why, I started my grisly work.


    I lacked any sort of style, but still, they stood no chance. My dagger or claw destroyed at least one of them with every swing. The few attacks that hit me bounced off the leather armour, which caused a slight drop in my mental essence reserves.


    Even though these fighters were my enemies and assisting someone in taking control of my body, I was glad to know that they were simple constructs of mind essence. The lack of blood or bodies made all of this destruction seem¡­ not real.


    ¡®If they are just constructs of mental essence, shouldn''t I be able to create them?'' This thought distracted me from the fight, which let a knife go through my defence, opening up a gash across my cheek. This didn''t cause me pain but made me not able to feel my cheek. It wasn''t comfortable and I cursed before redoubling my effort.


    I don''t know how long the battle lasted, but afterward, I was winded. Not physically, my stamina seemed to be endless in the mind scape, but mentally. I estimated that roughly 25% of my essence reserves had been used up in that one fight.


    A look across the battlefield showed only copies of me remaining, though far fewer in number than before. 16 to be exact. Those copies were currently looking at me seeming to await their next task. The wounds that they had endured were already healing. Even the numbness on my cheek started to recede.


    Now that the battle was over I had finally time to check the theory that had distracted me during the fight. After around 20 seconds of concentration, a new copy materialised in front of me. It didn''t look as polished or professional as the other ones but could definitely fight. Another benefit was that it wasn¡¯t actively draining my reserves.


    Despite that, I had to gasp when I saw the cost. It had taken almost 20%, leaving me with less than 40%, to conjure it. It was good to know that it was possible to do this but not very useful right now.


    In a perfect world, I would have had enough time to wait for my essence reserves to fill but that sadly wasn¡¯t the case. Not wanting to waste any more time, I ordered my remaining forces to form a square formation, with me in the middle, and march outside. A couple of steps and deep breaths and I was finally able to see the state of the mind scape.


    The structure remained the same as before. A courtyard surrounded by tall, stone walls and interrupted by miniature towers. Everywhere I looked I saw Sarvad¡¯s copies, running around and manning different kinds of weapons. This would have posed a problem, considering my comparably small force, if the whole castle hadn''t been under attack.


    Giant figures stood outside the walls, using their four black-scaled arms to try and breach the castle¡¯s defence. Humanoid beings with black wings flew right over them and swooped down on the defenders.


    Stones and other objects flew over the walls in both directions. Some were launched by strange contraptions manned by Sarvad¡¯s troops and others hurled by the hulking giants outside. These stones created craters throughout the castle, squashing both buildings and people alike. If it hadn''t been for the fact that this was the mindscape, I was sure I would be faced with a blood bath. To summarise, it was chaos. Almost like the previous time I had visited the mind scape, only ten times worse.


    In all this chaos, few enemies turned to engage my force. A very lucky outcome since I had two massive problems in the form of a traitor and an uncontrollable parasite to deal with. It was pretty obvious whose troops were currently attacking the fortress.


    Trying to ignore all of this I focused on my plan. Well, calling it a plan was generous. My priority was to somehow find Sarvad and gain the status of User to defeat the parasite. Granted, that wasn¡¯t the only reason I wanted to find him. Even now I could feel my anger simmering somewhere within.


    ''Now, where is he?'' I thought while looking around. All of the chaos was making my problem exponentially worse. The first way to find him that I came up with involved simply asking Adam. That failed, as they told me that my status wasn¡¯t high enough for this information. After that failure, I closed my eyes and tried to ignore the explosions and clashing of metal to think.


    ''Where would I, as the commander, be in such a battle? It needs to be a place from where I could oversee the entire battlefield, so maybe on the walls?


    No, it''s too unprotected there, but I like the idea of somewhere high up. Maybe he can go incorporeal but that''s unlikely. The bars in the dungeon seemed to have done a good job of holding him captive.


    I also need to consider the fact that I would need it to be somewhere hidden since I''m taking part in a three-way war.''


    A quick look around showed no obvious places fitting such a description. If my thought process was correct, then it needed to be something like a tower. Somewhere in the middle of the castle. I turned around and looked at the building I had just left, that just so happened to be twice the size of the castle walls. ''I think I''ve found it''.


    Now the only question left to answer was how I would get up there. Of course, I could go back inside and look for a staircase but considering the massive proportions of the building, it would take a very long time.


    On a whim, I tried whether or not I could magically will a staircase to appear. At first, it seemed to work and a translucent set of stairs made out of mental essence started to replace the entrance. Suddenly, I felt another presence crashing into mine. My concentration shattered under the surprise counterattack and the ghostlike staircase immediately disappeared.


    With a cry of pain, I fell onto my knees as the whiplash of what I could only call my imagination hit me. The pain only lasted for a couple of seconds but by the time it was done, I was sporting several wounds that were leaking purple essence.


    It looked like I wouldn''t be getting up there so easily, but at least Sarvad had just confirmed my suspicions about his whereabouts. Steeling myself, I prepared for the only solution.


    With a long look up at the towering building, followed by a loud sigh, I started climbing up the steep stone wall. I already had some experience in climbing, back when I had first awoken, which slightly helped.


    I also had a dagger in my offhand which, despite many stabs into the rock, didn''t dull in the slightest and continued cutting into the stone. Like a knife cutting through... something soft? Maybe a fruit? Anyway, it wasn''t important what that metaphorical knife stabbed, since the real one was doing such a good job.


    There were downsides to my method, one of them being that my heavily armoured troops couldn''t follow me up here. With a bit of tinkering, I could have probably managed to come up with a solution, like replacing their metal armour with leather, but I simply didn''t have the time or essence for that. Instead, I had ordered them to protect the entrance of the fortress.


    Come to think of it, could I change the copies? Technically, they weren¡¯t mine but Adam¡¯s. Was his mental essence different from mine? A question for another time.


    Another time that might never come considering that the second downside of using this method was barrelling toward me at an alarming rate.


    The rush of air was my only warning and it gave me just enough time to dodge the worst of it. Still, I wasn''t fast enough to avoid the entirety of the strike. A cold blade racked across my back, leaving a line of numbness behind. Another attack came and I barely managed to dodge it by taking a risky leap to the side.


    My feet only hit the air, but I managed to dig my claw into the stone and not let go of my dagger. A quick look over my shoulder showed that the creature hadn''t given up on its prey and was instead still circling above me. It took the form of a humanoid being duo wielding swords, clearly one of the parasite¡¯s fighters.


    I tried to conjure something, but my mind couldn''t properly focus on what I wanted to create. Just when I thought I had something the creature decided that it had waited enough and went in for another attack. This time I tried to block its strike with my dagger, but it simply changed the trajectory of its blade and slashed below my ribs.


    A gasp from the coldness escaped my mouth which also made me hesitate with counterattacking,letting the creature fly to a safe distance. An ominous feeling swelled up inside me, showing that my mind essence had dropped below 30%. If things continued this way then I wouldn¡¯t last long.


    With a quick look upwards I confirmed that I was barely more than halfway up, making it clear that I had no chance of reaching the top in time. My desperate gaze landed on a row of windows that were located a couple of stories above me. Too high to reach, but they gave me an idea. An idea that needed a distraction to succeed.


    I closed my eyes, trying to conjure a small object. This didn''t require a lot of concentration and after a second or two, a mist bomb was clenched between my teeth. The size of the object betrayed the complexity probably required to create it in the real world. Here it only took a thought.


    With bated breath, I waited until the creature went in for another dive before breaking the orb and releasing its cool contents. A cloud of mist formed around me, obscuring both of our visions.


    Of course, I could still use the ability to ¡®feel¡¯ my immediate surroundings, which the creature didn''t possess, considering its confused pause. A pause that allowed me to score a hit with a quickly drawn dagger. The dagger raked its leg, making it fly away and stop a good distance from the mist, presumably waiting for it to clear. A smart move, showing that the creature had more intelligence than I liked it to have.


    Hopefully, I would be long gone before the mist cleared.


    With a deep breath, I focus on the stone wall in front of me. Making it disappear was too big of a change for me to handle. But changing it to a different material could be doable. An easily breakable layer of glass, like with the windows above me, should do the trick.


    The image of the stone in my head slowly changed to a layer of glass, but nothing seemed to happen. Still, I felt that I was on the right track. This building was created by Sarvad so it would take more effort for me to change it. To do that I needed to go deeper.


    The stone in front of me was made out of rock, but what was the rock made out of? Smaller rocks? No, but close. More like small particles. Everything could be pulled apart into small particles, but what told those particles to be rock and not something like glass? There was something inside of them, telling them to be a certain material. Like a set of instructions or... a set of runes! I felt that this line of thinking was getting me somewhere.


    So in essence, no pun intended, I needed to rewrite these runes and make them say that the particle was glass. The image of the windows on this building returned and I focused on the particles that made up the glass. They were the same as the ones that made up the rock, but the runes inside them were slightly different.


    I noted that there were a bunch of other runes inside the particles, besides the one telling them what to be, but that wasn''t currently important. With a quick thought, I went back to the stone and started altering the runes inside of it. I felt a resistance push against me, but the more of them I changed the easier it became. I wondered if this would also be possible in the physical world.


    Soon they all resembled the ones found in glass and when I opened my eyes I was looking into the dark interior of the building. It was disorienting, because it felt like the transformation had taken a long time, when in fact it had only taken a couple of seconds.


    Enough time for my attacker to become impatient and barrel through the mist toward me. This time it wouldn''t be satisfied by a glancing blow and was going straight for the kill.


    My disorientation stopped me from reacting in time, which let the creature crash into me and through the window. We both tumbled into the empty room. A couple of glass shards graced me, but the effect of the mind scape - not being able to feel pain - let me scramble up pretty quickly. My opponent also got up but in a more jerky fashion.


    Earlier I hadn''t gotten a good look, but now I could see that my earlier assessment of it being a blade-wielding humanoid had been only partially right. The thin, sickly-looking figure in front of me was humanoid and had the appearance of what Iimagined a starving human would look like.


    The layer of skin covering its ribs was almost see-through, with dark, pulsing veins snaking across it. They reminded me of my veins, disturbingly enough.


    It also possessed two pairs of black feathered wings that were missing whole clumps of feathers. Those patches leaking a thick purple goo only made it more horrific. But it wasn''t wielding two swords, no. That would have made it look too normal. No, the two sickle-like blades were protruding from its upper arms and looked to have been welded into place.


    Its glazed-over eyes that were leaking more of that purple goo stared in my direction as it took a jerky step forward - a far cry from its elegant movement in the air. I took a measured step backward.


    This creature reminded me of the two guardian angel statues I had seen outside Seran, just a lot more disturbing. My first thought was to immediately attack but I shoved that urge down. Fighting wasn¡¯t something I wanted to do and it wasn¡¯t optimal in this situation. This being vaguely resembled a creature that humans looked up to, so I tried something unprecedented: Reasoning with the enemy.


    "So, is there any chance that we could go our separate ways?¡± The creature stopped and it looked like an expression of surprise crossed its face, so I continued talking.


    "It isn''t that I don''t enjoy your company, but I need to do something really important, and you are kind of in the way. How about you leave me alone for now and later we can do whatever you want to do. Sound good?"


    The not-angel took another jerky step forward and opened its mouth filled with broken teeth. A garbled mess of sounds filled the quiet room. It sounded like multiple voices talking at once, but distorted and sliced together, making it barely intelligible. A couple words that were repeated over and over again, were demon, ninth, hero, child, and gods.


    A chilling sense of unnatural dread came over me and I took a step backward, ready to fight. It would be difficult, considering my almost empty essence reserve but I wouldn¡¯t give up.


    The not-angel lifted its blade arms and tensed its atrophied muscles, seemingly getting ready to pounce.


    Suddenly, the voices stopped and silence settled again. The creature straightened up, all the jerkiness gone from its movements. Its appearance hadn¡¯t changed, but something in its eyes was different.


    Before they had been emotionless and simply gazing into nothingness. But now they were filled with something intelligent. Something that was studying me with a glimmer in its eyes and I wasn''t sure if I liked it.


    Something like a smile spread across its mouth. The not-angel lifted its blade and waved at me. Then it disappeared, leaving behind an empty room and a confused Vindict. Behind me was a staircase that led upwards. On one hand, it was good that I hadn''t had to fight, but on the other hand, what I had seen had left me very disturbed and uneasy. Before I had thought of the parasite as an almost mindless monster but now¡­


    I shuddered and climbed the first step.

 The Betrayer and the Betrayed

    The endless staircase did wonders in helping me forget my unease. It continued on and on, twisting throughout the building and leading steadily upwards. If stamina were a thing in the mind scape, I¡¯d be already wheezing like a dying man. The climb also helped to recover some of my essence.


    However, some stray thoughts slipped through. How smart was the parasite? The idea of it being sentient and able to act logically was scary. Worst of all, I still didn¡¯t know what it actually was. Sarvad had referred to it as the ¡®parasite¡¯ but much of it was still a mystery.


    Finally reaching the end of the staircase I walked out onto a platform overlooking the castle. I was so high up that the red sky was only an arm''s reach away. No wind blew, underlining the strangeness of this place.


    But that wasn¡¯t important. The only thing that mattered was Sarvad standing, with his back to me, at the edge of the platform.


    He looked better than the last time I had seen him. Gone were the ragged, stained clothes, replaced with loose, white pants and a shirt. Still without shoes, as I noted.


    His hands were raised and a mist of hazy, purple mental essence was gathered above him. A soft sound hit my ear and I realised that he was humming a song. It was an upbeat melody, similar to the one played by the street musician in Seran.


    My anger had continued to stew throughout the entire climb. The only reason I hadn¡¯t exploded was because of the slight chance that he hadn''t betrayed me. Maybe everything was just a misunderstanding and he hadn¡¯t been using me to get his revenge. But my anger had reached a boiling point.


    His copies had attacked me, he tried to stop me from finding him, and now he was standing here without a care in the world. The pity and guilt I felt for his situation evaporated. I didn¡¯t know what happened to twist him into this form but no matter what had happened, it didn¡¯t justify his actions.


    I wanted to scream and shout but I held myself back. This was an opportunity to quickly end it all. He was standing precariously close to the edge. One simple push would end it. Was it coldhearted? Yes. Was it justified? Maybe. Would it potentially allow me to live? Yes.


    Killing to survive wasn¡¯t new to me. I had slain the sandworm because it had tried to end me. I had killed the mercenaries because they had tried to end me. This wasn¡¯t any different. Just someone who I had known a bit longer.


    With my mind made up, I started sneaking toward him, trying to be as stealthy as possible. He didn''t show any reaction to my approach, too focused on his task. With only a couple of steps separating us I decided it was time to strike.


    Suddenly, Sarvad moved and grabbed my wrist which was in the process of rushing toward his back. Caught off guard, I couldn¡¯t stop him from pulling me forward. Already off balance from my strike I staggered. My foot didn''t find solid ground and if not for the hand that grabbed the back of my armour I would have plummeted toward my doom.


    "Did you know that if you die in here, you''ll be gone forever?" Sarvad asked in an all too casual tone that stirred my anger even further. "A simple slip of my fingers and there will be no more Vindict." I felt his grip around my neck loosen. Fear broke through my anger and panicking I called out, "I thought we had a deal! You helped me push out the parasite and I would find you that woman.¡±


    "Yes, that were the broad strokes of our agreement, weren''t they?¡± He responded. ¡°Well, I had a little time to think and I concluded that I don¡¯t need your help anymore.¡±


    The grinding of his teeth could be heard and his words gained a twinge of anger - an emotion I had become very familiar with over the last several hours.


    "Do you know how it feels like, to watch your body be puppeteered by someone else and having no control over its actions?! I sat here, only able to watch as you dragged my body through the filth.¡± The twinge of anger turned into a fire and hatred started to fill his voice.


    ¡°They promised me power as a reward for the endless pain. They said I was special. That all the sacrifices wouldn¡¯t be for nothing.¡± Craning my neck I was able to see Sarvad¡¯s face. What grabbed my attention wasn¡¯t the anger but the singular tear rolling down his cheek.


    ¡°I gave it my all. I endured everything they did to me. But the only reward I got was a cell in the dark and a stranger controlling my body. Like a carved-up marionette.¡± He took a deep breath in an attempt to center himself, but it obviously didn¡¯t work.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t exist,¡± he stated. ¡°The only two outcomes should have been me or the parasite taking control. None of the tests indicated that another consciousness would appear.¡± A sad chuckle escaped him. I almost felt sympathy for Sarvad, but the fact that he was threatening my life made it easy to push away. Still, my curiosity won over my anger.


    ¡°What went wrong?¡± I cautiously asked. Sarvad laughed like a madman. ¡°How should I know?! I was just the test subject. Nothing more. That last day is a blur but I remember everything else clearly. What happened before and what happened after. Waking up in that cell, realising that I have been lied to.¡±


    ¡°Then you freed me. Hahaha, I was ¡®free¡¯. No, I wasn¡¯t, you goddam liar! My cell had only gotten slightly bigger from your naivety. But I was generous. I scared off the parasite with the last of my power and only asked you to help me take revenge. The only reason you still exist is because of my generosity. That was a mistake.¡±


    He took a deep breath and managed to calm somewhat down. His facial expressions relaxed and his grip tightened. ¡°Traveling inside your mind was enlightening. Here, inside the mind scape, you get a thorough look at the personality of the one in charge of the body. Reading your thoughts made me come to a realisation. You would have never gone along with my plan. Your morality prevents it.¡±


    His tone was cold as if he were stating a simple fact. The sheer callousness of his words made me freeze. ¡°How can you talk like that?! I don¡¯t know what happened to you but whatever revenge you are planning isn¡¯t okay.¡± The things he had spouted when seeing that woman made me sick.


    Instead of answering, he simply ignored me and continued his monologue. ¡°If I wanted to get my revenge then I would have to remove you. My takeover was supposed to go smoothly, but the Administrator showing up threw me for a loop. That gave the damn parasite a chance to catch me unaware.¡±


    Suddenly, his grip loosened. I let out a yelp when I dropped forward, only to be caught by him. ¡°Enough talking. Now, are you going to relinquish control or do I have to drop you?"


    Both sounded like very bad options that I didn¡¯t want to happen. According to Adam, relinquishing control would allow Starved to become a User. When I had met him for the first time some of his bad qualities had already been apparent. He was cocky, even a bit condescending. But I had brushed it off. Why think about the negative attributes of someone who just saved your life? I shouldn¡¯t have trusted him so blindly.


    My first response was to give in. Sarvad had won. There was no way to save myself but to relinquish control. That was my instinctual response. But this wasn¡¯t the first time I was in a life-or-death scenario. Not even the second time. No, if I wanted to get out of here I needed to think logically.


    Maybe Sarvad was bluffing about me dying in the physical world if I died in here? Trusting him on anything was a dumb idea. But did I want to risk it? No, I didn¡¯t. He would just drop me. Drop me¡­ Something about his actions didn¡¯t make sense. A sense of suspicion filled me.


    I replied, "Why haven''t you dropped me already? My death should give you the status of User, shouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    It was a gamble. From what Adam had said, removing me would give the Former User the ability to become the User. Sarvad certainly knew this and possessed the ruthlessness to kill me. Then why didn¡¯t he do it? Something was preventing him from doing it. My death wasn¡¯t a viable option.


    Silence greeted me and for a moment I feared that I had gotten it wrong. Then the hand holding me over the edge roughly pulled back and my body tumbled across the roof. I slid to a halt and quickly got back up.


    Sarvad was standing across from me with an impassive look on his face. The mental essence was still gathered above him and he effortlessly continued manipulating it.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°You are smarter than I thought,¡± he neutrally stated. ¡°The forceful power transfer to become User isn¡¯t instantaneous. During this time ADAM enters a passive mode, severally weakening its capabilities. A perfect opportunity for the parasite.¡± My former companion scoffed. ¡°The only way to avoid this is if you give up your position. That flaw isn¡¯t my making. ADAM had one job, to complete the task they gave me. And it failed.¡±


    I wanted to interrupt and ask what task and who ¡®they¡¯ were, but he silenced me with a glare. ¡°ADAM was supposed to be revolutionary. It was the reason they picked me. But look what good it has done me. It¡¯s a failure, one that you stole for yourself. It''s funny how you are not only a body stealer but also a mind scape thief.¡±


    Throughout his entire monologue, he had stood still but now he started pacing back and forth, gesticulating wildly with his hands. The urge to interrupt him was there but I stopped myself. If Sarvad liked the sound of his voice that much then he could continue. It gave me more time to figure out how to get out of this mess. To my disappointment, I didn¡¯t come up with many good ideas.


    I tuned back into Sarvad¡¯s rant when something important seemed to show up.


    ¡°ADAM wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this. I created it but afterward, it started changing itself. Great for making it stronger against invaders, but not so great when it comes to predicting its actions. But that doesn¡¯t matter. Once you transfer your power to me, I¡¯ll become the User and make everything go away. It is truly in your best interest.¡±


    ¡°And what if I don¡¯t?¡± I objected. ¡°If you kill me the parasite takes control and you die as well. This is a stalemate.¡±


    Sarvad chuckled. ¡°It truly isn¡¯t. Your submitting will just make the process quicker. Once this here is ready.¡± He pointed at the mist that had condensed into an orb of mental essence floating above him. ¡°The parasite will be driven back. It may be a primordial power but it isn¡¯t used to combat in the mind scape. Oh, and please stop building up mental essence behind your back. It''s quite obvious."


    A mist quickly spread across the platform as I crushed the mist bombs I had materialised behind my back. But instead of immediately rushing him, I started moving to the side. I hadn¡¯t expected him to notice, which meant that I had lost the element of surprise.


    "Please stop with this useless resistance. It''s pathetic," Sarvad continued his monologue and took a confident step forward. I could sense the corners of his lips lifting into a smile. "I mean, mist? Are you serious? Here is a bit of free advice for you."


    He turned towards my exact location and took another step forward. "That doesn''t work on real people. Maybe you¡¯ve already discovered your ability to sense your immediate surroundings. I, and every other entity with a soul, have the same ability. The whitecoats at the institution called it ¡®mental sense¡¯ or ¡®inner sense¡¯. Your tricks are worthless in here.¡± A vicious grin spread across his face. ¡°Do you want to see how a real powerhouse fights in here?"


    Before I had the chance to respond, a wall of essence slammed into me and everything went dark.


    "Here, take another bite of that steak. It''s absolutely amazing," Pecta said and followed his advice by cutting up a sizeable portion of the meat and biting down on it. I took a look at the private room of the restaurant we had rented and smiled. It had been a good idea to stay in Seran and start our own business. No more monsters or bandits, just simple work. It had taken us a while to get rich but we had done it.


    All of life''s comforts were now ours, especially the food. Still, looking at this luxury I frowned. Shouldn¡¯t the guards be looking for us? We had lied about me being part of that caravan and by now they should have gotten a response from the Merchant¡¯s Union. Furthermore, how did we get rich? Something wasn¡¯t adding up. The world around me started flickering and changed.


    My claw effortlessly moved across the instrument and the crowd cheered. I slowed down to let the music build before suddenly spiking it. The onlookers went wild.


    It was sad that we had to flee from Seran but this was definitely worth it. The city that we found ourselves in was much more accepting of monsters than the rest of the Kingdom. Here I had pursued the art of music and was making good money from my street performances. I still remembered the street musician that had inspired me to do so. Looking around to see the people cheering made me smile.


    I waved at them before continuing to play. Then I stopped. This didn¡¯t make sense. I was plucking the strings of the instrument with my claw. The claw that had effortlessly cut through stone. No, this was all wrong.


    Whatever Sarvad had done to me wasn''t working. This illusion tried to imitate scenarios that were to my liking but it lacked realism. It was subtle but once you focused on the inconsistencies it became obvious.


    I stopped moving and the smile slipped from my face. Sarvad thought he could trick me with this shitty illusion. The crowd had stopped cheering but I didn¡¯t care. What gave Sarvad the idea that he could control my life? Everything around me started shaking and the people were beginning to disappear.


    Cracks in the world started appearing around me. Another being that wanted to end my life. A person that didn''t have the excuse of just being driven by instinct. A person who I thought of as at least a decent living being. With the mage it had been obvious that he was evil and didn''t care about life, but Sarvad? The illusion around me flickered for the last time and shattered.


    An explosion of essence erupted from my body and cleared away the rest of the mist. Sarvad had already turned back to the edge of the platform to continue preparing the essence orb. Now he spun toward me with a look of astonishment on his face. "What the hell!? How did you-" Before he could finish his sentence I rushed him.


    This time I made sure to position myself properly when swinging at my enemy. Despite the unexpectedness of my attack, Sarvad managed to dodge and stumble to the right. After being hit by the illusion I had dropped my dagger but it didn¡¯t matter, as I swung my fist at him. My former companion managed to raise his arms to block and was sent flying.


    Luckily for him, his earlier dodge removed the threat of falling off the edge. Despite this, I noted his sorry state as he tried to get up. He was covered in a plethora of wounds, with new ones continuing to open. I felt the mental essence buzz around him like a swarm of angry insects. The backlash from the failed illusion was hitting him hard.


    Somehow he was still holding on to the orb of essence floating above us. Not for long, I promised myself. Without much thinking, I materialised a rock inside my free hand. With a quick motion, I pulled back and threw it.


    Sarvad had no chance to react as the rock hit him square in the chest. In the physical world that would have resulted in several broken ribs. This wasn¡¯t possible in the mind scape but I didn¡¯t need it to be. The rock had accomplished its goal.


    With a final pulse the essence orb dissipated. Sarvad had lost his concentration and with it his only chance to defeat the parasite without my help.


    Now it was my turn to chuckle as he slowly got up and stared at his hands in disbelief. ¡°You wanted to take me out? Well, I¡¯m taking you with me,¡± I grimly stated. ¡°Your only choice is to abdicate your position of Former User. Then I will become a User and save us both. You-¡°


    My demands were interrupted by a scream of rage. Sarvad was sprinting toward me with hatred in his eyes. He was in front of me in an instant. Unable to stop him I watched as he punched me in the chest.


    I stumbled a couple of steps backward. Was that¡­ it? The punch had barely fazed me. Sarvad pulled back for another punch.


    Suddenly, a tremor ran through the fortress and the emotionless voice of Adam resounded across the platform.


    ¡°Hostile action from Former User directed at Probational User detected. Probational User is a higher status than Former User. Activating Protocol 15: Chains of Retaliation. Requirements:


    - a direct attack from someone of a lower status directed at the Probational User


    - target must be below 15% mental essence


    This protocol is not designed for the complete elimination of threats. Error. Not enough mental essence. Processing¡­ Area around target saturated with mental essence. Mental essence will be used for activation of the protocol.


    Sarvad backed away and looked into the sky in shock. "What do you mean Protocol 15? There are only 12 Proto-"


    Suddenly, the entire fortress started shaking and all I could do to prevent myself from falling was to crouch down on all fours. Sarvad managed to keep standing, but his head kept wildly spinning around, looking for threats.


    That''s why he was the first to notice the twelve small holes that had started to form around him. He immediately tried to escape by creating wings out of mental essence but it was already too late.


    His feet hadn''t even left the ground when chains started shooting out of the openings and wrapping themselves around him. Despite his fighting, they continued to move like living worms and binding him to the spot. His frantic gaze met mine. He opened his mouth but before he could say anything a chain wrapped itself across his face.


    It only took three seconds for his entire body to be encased in a cocoon of chains. Then the entire section of the platform where he was standing started to sink into the depths of the fortress. When it disappeared, the platform restored itself. No sound could be heard.


    I watched the entire process unfold with a mixture of shock and emptiness. Sarvad deserved everything of what just happened, no doubt about it. Maybe even more, as he wasn¡¯t even dead, according to Adam. He was better off than some of the other people who had tried to kill me.


    Despite that, I couldn''t bring myself to feel happy or satisfied. The betrayal still stung.


    The worst part about it was that on some level I could understand his reasoning. He was narcissistic and a bit insane, no doubt about that, but would I have reacted any better? Wasn''t one of my worst fears being trapped in my own mind and watching someone else pilot my body? Could I honestly say that I would have done something different in his situation?


    I was interrupted from my inner thoughts by the flapping of wings. Looking up, I saw five not-angels floating in front of the platform, all looking at me with an intelligent gleam in their eyes. Slowly I stood back up and looked at them individually.


    "Did you see what I did to that guy? Because I''m not afraid to repeat the process five more times," I stated in a cold voice, completely bluffing since none of the conditions for Protocol 15 were met. Only their wings moved as they continued to stare at me. Then all of them simultaneously lifted their sword arms and started banging them together. It took me a while to figure out that they were clapping. Then they all disappeared.


    For a second I stood there frozen in confusion before rushing to the edge of the platform and looking down. All the other monstrous creatures had also disappeared leaving only the defenders that had reverted back to copies of me. Again I was left with confusion and unease. Not even Adam¡¯s voice, informing me that I had become a User managed to cheer me up.

 Blessed of Noctus

    The events of the day were still on my mind when I stepped into the inn.


    After Adam informed me that I had become a User, I was suddenly thrown out of the mindscape and back into the physical world. When I awoke, the alley had changed drastically.


    The sandstone in my immediate surrounding looked like it had turned liquid and then became solid again. Where there had been bricks, now lay an amalgamation of stone. Trails of now solid rock flowed down the walls, reminding me of droplets of blood from a needle prick. Parts of the houses had even disappeared, leaving me to look into their insides, which were luckily devoid of humans.


    The sun was already setting on the horizon which told me that I had been inside the mindscape for quite some time. Without further hesitation, I quickly left the alley and hurried to the inn to meet Pecta. My mind was pleasantly silent but I knew that I would have to deal with Adam and the parasite sooner or later. For now, they weren¡¯t my main priority. Informing my companion of what I had learned was.


    Sarvad had been certain that the horned woman was looking for me and I didn¡¯t want to know what would happen if she found me. Nothing good, if Sarvad¡¯s memories were anything to go by.


    Now back at the inn, I looked around the main room that had filled up considerably since my last visit. It was brimming with rowdy humans talking, drinking, and making sounds that vaguely resembled music. Not seeing Pecta, I tightened the cloak around me and made my way to the staircase that was located on the other side of the room.


    I reached the stairs and was about to go up when a rough hand gripped my shoulder. Whirling around I found myself face to face with the woman who had manned the bar when we had first arrived.


    ¡°Vindict, wasn¡¯t it? I wouldn''t go up there if I were you," she stated in a calm voice while looking me straight in the eyes. Her voice wasn¡¯t exactly quiet but the noise of the other patrons almost drowned it out.


    ¡°And why is that?¡± I asked. I was still on edge from the day¡¯s events and the way she had phrased that didn¡¯t sit right with me. My hand automatically moved toward my belt where my dagger was hidden.


    Her eyes glanced at my hand before going back to my face. "Because there are a couple of people with daggers in your room, who seem to be very eager to make your acquaintance."


    I tensed up and quickly scanned the main room for anything suspicious.


    "Don''t worry," the innkeeper said, seeing my reaction. "All of them went to your two rooms. Well, except for one, but you don''t have to worry about him.¡± She nodded at the bar. Looking past her, I could see a human slumped over the counter, seemingly asleep. In any other circumstances, I wouldn¡¯t have given him a second look. But now that the woman had pointed him out, I noticed the handle of a dagger peeking out from his belt.


    Glancing back at the woman in front of me I reassessed her. She was built more sturdy than the average human but I had overpowered stronger ones in the desert. However, the fact that she had taken out another human without anyone noticing made me vary. Poison, if I had to guess.


    ¡®Why am I immediately thinking of her as a threat?¡¯ My assessments of people were usually more appearance oriented and had nothing to do with combat. That I had become different wasn¡¯t bad but it did make me wary. Having so many encounters with death had changed me.


    Going back to analysing my predicament I glanced toward the exit. Couldn¡¯t I just leave and avoid this mess?


    The innkeeper noticed me looking. ¡°Don¡¯t do that. I don¡¯t know what you did but the people hunting you are professionals. They probably have someone monitoring the main entrance, who informed them of your arrival.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°No, if you want to get out of this mess then you need to follow me. I can show you the back door.¡±


    This immediately raised my suspicion. I narrowed my eyes. "Why would you tell me that? Out of the goodness of your heart?" I asked, taking a step back. Maybe I would have trusted her before my experience with Sarvad. But I had learned to be wary of humans.


    The innkeeper snorted. ¡°I do believe myself to be a good person but no. Me helping you is part of a favour I own somebody.¡±


    She looked at the ceiling and her face crunched up into a frown. "It doesn''t help that I dislike one of the people up there." With that, she turned around and made her way back to the bar. "Follow me if you want, but I''m not going to force you. I just heavily recommend it.¡±


    Putting me on a timer didn¡¯t make me happy but I needed to quickly weigh my options. How likely was it that someone was hunting me? Very, according to Sarvad. He had been sure that the horned woman would find me. As I had already established, she probably wasn¡¯t a good person.


    Now I had to ask myself what consequences could following this stranger have.


    Immediately the idea of an ambush popped into my mind. Warning me of imaginary assassins upstairs, while luring me to the very real assassins downstairs. The idea of having someone to oversee the main entrance also made sense, so simply leaving wasn¡¯t risk-free.


    So, what held the least amount of risk? My problem was the unknown. Going upstairs led to the unknown. Exiting the inn led to the unknown. But following the innkeeper led to a possible known outcome. Escaping through the back door.


    She seemed to be knowledgeable about the people hunting me, which meant that she probably knew a way to escape from them. Her knowledge of them did make it more likely that she was working with them. However, her words made me doubt that.


    She spoke very openly about them, which would obviously raise my suspicion. The woman had to know this, yet she did so anyway. Not the actions of someone trying to lure me into a trap. Nodding to myself, I decided to follow her but keep an eye open for any trickery. If necessary I would fight my way out of here.


    The human woman glanced back at me and went through a doorway behind the bar. After checking my surroundings I followed her.


    Inside, another human stood beside a table and stirred the contents of a large bowl. A mouthwatering smell was coming out of it but I had no time to wonder what was inside. The woman walked past the man, who didn''t look up from his work, into another room.


    This one didn''t seem to have a specific function as the only object inside was a table with a neatly folded yellow cloth on it. Three closed doors led to other parts of the house and the only light source was a window covered with a dirty rag that dampened the light to create a gloomy atmosphere.


    The innkeeper asked me to close the door. After making sure nobody else was inside, I complied. This left us standing face to face with only a couple of steps separating us. I waited for her to say something but she just kept on studying my face. The bandages hid most of my details but it felt like she was staring right through them.


    It was weird, considering how little time we had according to her. The possibility of this being a trap increased.


    "So... shouldn''t we get going? Because of the assassins that you mentioned," I asked trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. She kept staring at me before sighing.


    "I can''t figure out what''s so special about this guy. Is it the fact that he''s pretending to be a follower of your god?"


    Before I had the chance to defend my disguise another female voice answered. "Nah, I couldn''t care less about that." I whipped my head to the corner of the room where the voice had come from and was shocked to see another person standing there.


    Nobody had been there before, I was certain of it. What made matters worse was that the human was covered head to toe in black bandages - the same way I was covered beneath my leather armour and cloak.


    I remembered Pecta¡¯s words as he explained to me that one of my best options would be to pretend to be a follower of a god whose name I had already forgotten. I did know one thing: This god was the patron of assassins. And now there was a real follower of his standing before me.


    I took a step backward to keep both humans in sight and prepared for a fight. My hand was on my dagger and my claw was ready to spring forward. The movement focused the assassin''s attention on me.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Instead of attacking, she raised her hand. "May the light not blind your eyes," the assassin announced.


    Not knowing how to respond I waited for an attack. Those same words had been uttered by the innkeeper when we had first arrived. It sounded like a warning, one for which I didn¡¯t have an answer. Still, the assassin was waiting for a response.


    One of the many tips Pecta had given me about interacting with other humans was to be confident. Even if you didn¡¯t know what you were doing you couldn¡¯t show weakness. He had called it ¡®fake it till you make it¡¯.


    With a confident nod I responded, ¡°Thank you for the advice.¡±


    A snort came from behind the bandages and even the innkeeper looked slightly amused. "You don''t even know the proper greeting of the followers of shadow and you still decided to imitate one. I can''t decide whether to call you stupid or brave," the innkeeper stated.


    "Either way, I completed my part of the agreement, Lilith. My debt to you has been paid. Now get out before the rest of your Vipers find you.¡±


    With that she opened a side door and walked out, leaving me with the assassin who was called Lilith. Before the door could fully close, she called out to the innkeeper. ¡°Always a pleasure working with you, Ophira!¡± In response, she got a hand gesture that was considered very rude.


    The assassin rolled her eyes at the other human''s action and turned to me. "Well, that''s our queue to leave. My fellow guild members may be dolts but given enough time even an idiot will accomplish something.¡±


    Her actions were so different from what I expected that I just stood there stunned. After a couple of seconds passed she rolled her eyes again and asked, "Have you suddenly gone deaf? I said that we need to make this fast. Ophira may be a bit dramatic, but she isn''t wrong." This brought me back from my stupor.


    "Who are you and what are you talking about? Also, how did you appear? The room was empty and then you were suddenly there. Was that magic? It has to be magic, right?¡± Despite everything that had happened to me my curiosity had never died.


    Now it was her time to look stunned. She was so still while staring at me that, for a moment, I thought she had turned to stone. Luckily, that wasn''t the case and she broke free of her trance to slap herself on the forehead.


    "You know nothing, do you? He didn''t inform you or talk to you in any way?" A groan followed my shrug. "Who should have talked to me?" I asked, genuinely curious.


    "Noctus of course! The god of shadows? The one who has taken such an interest in you that he contacted me to save you from my own assassin guild?" I couldn''t see what was going on behind her bandages but her tone made it clear that she wasn''t happy.


    Didn¡¯t Pecta say that gods only communicated with their Chosen? A god having an interest in me, much less talking to me, didn¡¯t seem logical.


    "I want to help you, but I have no idea what you''re talking about. Oh, but I know Noctus. Pecta once told me about him. But he didn-" I was rudely interrupted by a groan from the assassin, who was probably not here to kill me.


    "You know what? It doesn''t matter. I have a place for you to hide while the contract on you is still active. I''m sure Noctus has a reason for not contacting you about all this even if it messes with my plan. To summarise, I''m part of the Desert Vipers, an assassin guild that was hired to capture you.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Why the hell our guild master would agree to a capture contract is beyond me. This entire job occurred so suddenly with no time to prepare. We didn¡¯t even have a briefing yet. Of course, for someone of my caliber, this isn¡¯t a problem.¡±


    During her rant I had started to relax but now my concentration was back up. Being trapped in a room with a trained assassin who had a contract on me wasn¡¯t good.


    Lilith continued. ¡°However, then my god talked to me during one of my prayers. I was to help you get out of Seran alive. As a Blessed of Noctus, I am required to follow his commands. And he even offered me a reward so, of course, I said yes. Got all that?"


    Some of it but I nodded nonetheless. "Good, because I''m currently supposed to be somewhere else. If the other members see me here then it won¡¯t end well. So let''s go before they wonder where you ran off to."


    With that, she opened the door behind her which led to a small courtyard and walked through. She turned back around when she noticed that I wasn''t following her. "What is it now? Did you not hear me say that we need to go?"


    "Yes, I heard you," I responded. "That doesn''t mean that I trust you. For all I know you could be lying and leading me into a trap." I didn''t get the feeling that she was lying, but I had been wrong about Sarvad, and that had almost cost me my life. ¡°And what about my companion Pecta? I am not leaving him to the mercy of assassins.¡±


    Lilith opened her mouth to answer when a voice interrupted us. It came from the other side of the door from which I had entered. "What do you mean you don''t know where he went?! We saw one of the targets enter. He has to have gone through here!"


    The calm voice of the innkeeper Ophira replied, "And I''m telling you, that he didn''t come through here. Don''t blame your incompetence on me. Now leave before I call the guards." An angry grunt was heard, with more muffled talking. I pressed my ear against the door, completely forgetting about the assassin in the room. "- poisoned. Someone from your staff must have slipped the sleeping powder into his drink! Or maybe it was you, you filthy-"


    "I would stop talking before you say something you regret," the icy voice of Ophira responded. "Not unless you want a knife shoved up your ass. Hell, how about I go directly to Lilith? Surely, your only Blessed will reward you for insulting one of her friends."


    I noticed a small hole at the bottom of the door and crouched down to take a peak. Ophira had her arms crossed and was standing across from a larger human. His face wasn''t visible but from his stature and voice, I assumed him to be male.


    From his words, I parsed together that he was an assassin here to capture me. Speaking of assassins, Lilith was suddenly next to me and had her ear pressed against the door. I almost gasped at her silent appearance but managed to hold it in. Then the male assassin began to speak.


    "Taking Lilith on was a mistake. That dumb wench got into the guild master¡¯s bed and somehow managed to convince him that she should be part of our guild. The old fart has lost his touch and has forgotten how to lead the Desert Vipers. I mean, he let random rabble that he found on the streets join."


    Ophiras''s eye roll was practically audible. "Sure Amarum, it definitely isn''t because she''s a Blessed of Noctus and way more skilled than all of you combined."


    Before the man could respond a person who I couldn¡¯t see whispered something to him. With difficulty, the assassin managed to contain his anger. ¡°Talking to you isn¡¯t worth it,¡± Amarum decided. Looking behind his back he motioned for someone. ¡±Take Tirta and search the inn. The detoxing tonic should have done its job by now."


    This was the last thing I heard before Lilith grabbed my arm and pulled me away. "Time to go," she whispered and pulled me towards the courtyard. "Wait," I retorted and pulled myself free. "We need to wait for my companion Pecta." Everything that just happened supported her story and I had decided to trust her for the moment. That didn¡¯t mean that I would let Pecta unknowingly walk into an ambush.


    "Then we have a problem because I cannot afford to wait," Lilith hissed back. When she saw my refusal to leave she took a deep breath. ¡°Fine, how about this: I show you a place to hide, and afterward we can go look for your friend. Preferably after you changed your appearance."


    A piece of cloth flew at me, which I managed to catch with my one hand. "Throw that on and let''s go," Lilith said and covered herself with an identical yellow robe that hid her black bandages. She quickly unraveled the bandages around her head and placed them in a pocket.


    Walking outside I noted that the courtyard was very small and sparsely decorated. A wall that was about my height separated it from the street.


    Lilith was heading toward the wall to the left and I quickly followed her example.


    Putting on the cloak made me notice how many layers of clothing I already had on. To a human, it would probably feel awful but to me it was comfortably warm. Differently from Lilith, I didn¡¯t take off the yellow bandages around my head. My face was far too memorable to take that risk.


    When I looked back at her she was already crouched on top of the wall and scanning the surroundings. The top was slightly out of reach for me, so Lilith reached her hand out to help me.


    This presented a problem. Reaching the top of the wall, even with her help, would require more than one hand. Pecta had warned me of showing my monstrous side to humans even if he himself was okay with it. My decision was taken from me when I heard a loud banging coming from the inn.


    Without further thinking, I ripped the string keeping my claw contained, and took her hand with my human one. My claw left scratch marks on top of the wall and my descent on the other side was a bit abrupt, but I managed it. Lilith followed a lot more gracefully and we both pressed ourselves against the wall.


    We had landed in a tight, dark corridor between two walls. Light was shining in from the exit, which seemed to lead to the main street. The footsteps of someone entering the courtyard could be heard from behind us. I held my breath and after a while, the sound of the door closing could be heard.


    Before I could speak Lilith covered my mouth. We waited another couple of minutes like this before she removed her hand. She took a look at my exposed claw and raised an eyebrow. "I guess it makes a lot more sense why Noctus is interested in you. He is quite fond of non-humans.¡±


    I thought about explaining to her that I, or at least this body, was mostly human, but decided not to. Maybe she was working in my best interest but that didn¡¯t mean that I had to tell her all my secrets.


    Instead, I said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re starting to understand more. Sadly, I don¡¯t. Could you at least answer some of my questions? Like, how did you just appear in that room?¡± Maybe that wasn¡¯t the most pressing question but it was one my curiosity demanded of me.


    She chuckled, "Oh, are you talking about the Shadow Blend I used to mask my presence? Didn¡¯t I say that I¡¯m a Blessed of Noctus?¡±


    I nodded along. This didn''t seem to impress her. ¡°Have you never heard of a Chosen?" I shrugged my shoulders and answered, "No, but I would love to know more. Pecta mentioned Chosen a couple of-¡± Suddenly the world around me changed.


    A tall human man was standing before me. Only his face and arms were visible from underneath his white clothing. His arms were completely covered in glowing symbols of eyes, books, animals, and indecipherable words. A glowing symbol of an open book was painted on his forehead. The words in it seemed to come to life and swim through the air toward me. Red clouded my vision.


    ¡°Hello? Am I speaking to a rock?¡± Lilith''s voice snapped me out of the vision. "Yes, I''m alright," I halfheartedly answered. This was my first vision in a very long time. Well, I now knew that they weren¡¯t visions. They were Sarvad¡¯s memories. I had hoped that by confronting him I had put an end to them but that apparently wasn''t the case. Was this something I had to deal with or would they simply stop happening?


    Shaking my head I returned my attention to Lilith. ¡±So, you were saying about Chosen?"


    She gave me a strange look and stood up. ¡°Maybe someday but definitely not now. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    With that, she turned around and headed to the exit of the alley. I reluctantly followed after making sure my claw was hidden.

 Going into Hiding

    As I crossed the street I had to actively stop myself from looking back. It felt like someone was watching me, which was a very real possibility. What mattered was if they recognised me.


    I followed Lilith, as she weaved deeper into the city. For a while, we walked among the crowd on the main road before sharply turning into a narrow alley. Just like all the other alleys I had the displeasure of visiting it was dark and unpleasant.


    After that, it was just a blur of different shortcuts and corridors as she quickly led me away from the inn. At first, I tried to memorise everything but quickly gave up after the tenth turn. It was impressive how she could keep track of our location.


    My trust in her was still thin but she had saved me from the assassins. If she was telling the truth about Noctus ordering her to do so I would probably have to deal with a whole new mess of problems once we escaped. I doubted that a god would take the time out of his life to save me just because of goodwill.


    Hopefully, we would soon reach this hideout of hers. Not just because it would provide safety. I needed to go back and somehow contact Pecta. How I would do that, I didn¡¯t know.


    Suddenly, Lilith grabbed my arm and pulled me into a backstreet. It reeked of feces and other unidentifiable smells. I wanted to protest, but she shushed me with a gesture.


    ¡°Somebody is following us,¡± she whispered. I listened closely and managed to hear the faint sound of footsteps coming closer. ¡°Not someone from the Desert Vipers. Our follower is good but not good enough for that.¡±


    The footsteps were getting closer. Before the person managed to pass us, Lilith tackled and pinned them to the ground. ¡°Who are you and why are you following us?!¡± She hissed and suddenly had a dagger pressed against their neck. The tackle had thrown off their cloak and exposed their face.


    ¡°Wait, Lilith! That¡¯s Pecta, my companion,¡± I exclaimed. Just as suddenly as she had tackled Pecta, she stood up and started dusting off her cloak. I tried giving him a hand but he got up on his own and eyed Lilith with suspicion.


    ¡°Vindict, why are you with a Shadow Hand?¡± He warily asked. Lilith chuckled. ¡°Oh, it is quite rare for someone to know us. Most people just assume us to be regular followers of Noctus.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I grew up in a city with one of your chapters. It wasn¡¯t a very nice experience,¡± answered Pecta with gritted teeth. His hand subtly moved closer to the sword on his side. Lilith noticed this and tensed, ready to strike. Despite this, I noted that her eyes had an excited glint to them. The dagger she had pulled on Pecta was already gone but her actions had shown how fast she could bring it back into play.


    ¡°Wowowo,¡± I said and stepped between the two combatants. ¡°This is not the time to fight. We are being hunted and Lilith offered us a hiding place. Back at the inn she saved my life which makes her trustworthy. So, can we please get along?¡±


    A tense couple of seconds followed but then Lilith relaxed and chuckled. ¡°You are right. Noctus probably wouldn¡¯t want me to injure one of your friends.¡± She turned to Pecta. ¡°I have no idea what experiences you have with the order, but I guarantee you that my only goal is getting you someplace safe.¡±


    Pecta didn¡¯t relax but his hand stopped reaching for his weapon. His tone was still tense as he replied, ¡°Lead the way.¡±


    As we continued traveling Pecta told me about the wanted posters and the two assassins. Lilith offhandedly confirmed that they were part of the Desert Vipers. After leaving the bar Pecta had rushed back to the inn but had not entered.


    From what the assassins had said, he had believed that the chances were high that they were watching the inn. It was pure coincidence, or a miracle of Persa if Pecta was to be believed, that he saw two hooded figures exit the alley behind the inn. He got a glimpse of my yellow bandages and followed. The rest was history.


    I, on the other hand, didn¡¯t share a lot. Most of my free time had been spent in the mindscape and what happened there felt personal. I did say that I had a clue about who was hunting us. With a discreet glance in Lilith¡¯s direction, I told him that we would talk about this later. Pecta understood and nodded.


    The last one of us to talk was Lilith. She recapped everything she had told me at the inn, but with more detail. Pecta was very interested in the mysterious contractor who wanted us, or specifically me, captured. She didn¡¯t have any more information on them but I was 100% certain that it had something to do with the horned woman.


    When Lilith mentioned her god''s involvement Pecta chuckled. She glanced at him and raised her eyebrow. ¡°I don¡¯t really care if you believe me. Though it will bite you in the ass if you don¡¯t believe the words of a Blessed about her god.¡± My companion didn¡¯t answer but I sensed that he still didn¡¯t believe her.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Silence descended upon us as we continued moving through the stinking alleys. I had a lot of questions but wasn¡¯t comfortable asking them with Lilith around. Despite saving me, she still represented an unknown. A look upward showed that nighttime was close at hand.


    Suddenly, Lilith slowed down. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± I looked around the alley we were standing in but didn¡¯t see anything suspicious. Lilith was staring at the wall to our right so I focused my attention there.


    At first glance, it looked completely ordinary but then my eyes spotted something. A part of it looked¡­ newer. The colour was slightly lighter. When I pointed this out, Lilith nodded in approval. ¡°Wow, I¡¯m impressed. Nobody has ever noticed that. Must have better vision than us generic humans.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you told her that you aren¡¯t human?¡± Pecta butted in. ¡°Yea, it was kind of an emergency,¡± I answered apologetically. ¡°And besides, it did not turn out bad. She is actually really relaxed about it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what we call luck,¡± he sighed, ¡°You need to be more careful. By Persa¡¯s grace, if it was anyone else, the city guards would already be after us.¡±


    ¡°He is right you know,¡± Lilith added. She was kneeling next to the wall and moving her fingers across its surface. ¡°The only place where you find non-humans is in the underground and when someone is found out they are immediately hunted down. The only reason I was so relaxed about it was because it''s basically my job to hang out in these circles.¡±


    She glanced at my companion. ¡°The order is also filled with non-humans. Whatever problem you claim about the order, inclusivity isn¡¯t one of them.¡± Pecta didn¡¯t openly answer but I could hear him mutter, ¡°How about morality?¡± I doubted that the assassin had heard it as she had returned her attention to the wall.


    I quietly glance at Pecta. This order they were talking about wasn¡¯t something I had ever heard about but he didn¡¯t sound very happy about it. Despite my recent problems with trust, I still believed in his judgment.


    ¡°Ah, got it!¡± Lilith exclaimed. She had pulled out a stone and was now elbow-deep in the hole. With a click, part of the wall next to her swung inward, exposing the entrance to an unlit room.


    She placed the stone back in its original position and crawled inside. Pecta was visibly debating whether it was a good idea to follow. I shrugged and got on my knees to enter. If Lilith wanted to harm us, then she would have already done so by now.


    The room I found myself in was dark, with only the rough outlines of objects visible. Suddenly, a small flame brightened up my surroundings. Lilith had activated a small device that produced the light.


    Now that I could see the chamber, I noticed how small it was. My head was almost touching the ceiling by simply standing. It was also sparsely furnished. The only furniture consisted of a rickety table and two chairs. With the low lighting, I noticed a stack of hay in the corner.


    ¡°You will need to stay here until the contract on your heads is lifted,¡± Lilith stated. ¡°How long will that take?¡± I asked, dreading the answer. Just being in this room and knowing that there was a vast city to explore made me uncomfortable.


    ¡°Eh, probably around 10 days. Depends on how much our client wants you and how much money they have,¡± she answered. Looking around she remarked, ¡°This was all a bit short notice, so I didn¡¯t have the time to stock this place up. I need to leave, so the other Vipers won¡¯t get suspicious. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll come back tomorrow with something to eat.¡±


    With that, she crawled back outside. ¡°And don¡¯t forget: don¡¯t make too much noise and DO NOT leave without telling me. Noctus would be pissed if someone under his care died. I would also be pissed,¡± she called out. Then the Blessed of Noctus was gone.


    I looked at the spot where she had just been. ¡°Blessings are so cool,¡± I muttered before closing the hidden opening behind me. There were still so many questions left unanswered. I glanced at my companion. Luckily, I had someone who hopefully had answers.


    <hr>


    Werth was usually a calm man. Being a Facility Lord had taught him that it wasn¡¯t worth it to get emotional about the little things. The only times he displayed any real emotions was if they pertained to his end goal. However, as the last of the constructs was destroyed he let himself enjoy a moment of satisfaction.


    Finally, the challenge was done. He looked up at the floating being of flesh and knowledge and prostrated himself. The god didn¡¯t show any emotion at one of his servants having beaten the first stage of the Crucible of Knowledge.


    That was fine with Werth. He was a servant to the one true master, the Bringer of Knowledge, the All-Seer, and the Engineer of Humanity. His will would be done, no matter the cost. Achieving the rank of Blessed would only help to further the master¡¯s goal. It almost brought a tear to his eyes.


    One of the master¡¯s arms approached the Facility Lord and presented him with a crest of an open book. Werth felt a burning on his chest before suddenly waking up.


    It was disorienting to open one¡¯s eyes after having spent time in the realm of a god and for a brief moment all the servant wished for was to return to the presence of his master. That sensation only lasted for a brief moment before logic took over. Returning would mean that he couldn¡¯t accomplish the master¡¯s will and that was unacceptable.


    Looking down at his chest Werth noted the image of a book that seemed to have been burned onto his skin. He smiled at the realisation that he was finally a Blessed. The bottom rung of Chosen but still better than the common man.


    After putting on his clothing, the Facility Lord exited the chamber to find one of his servants standing guard. Werth had instructed her to block anyone from entering whilst he completed the Crucible.


    The guard bowed as she saw him return. She was a fellow servant of the master and was glad to see her superior having returned. ¡°Any news?¡± He demanded.


    ¡°The Administrator wants to see you, Facility Lord.¡± Werth gritted his teeth at the mention of that woman. Not only was she a monster, but she also stood in the way of the master¡¯s plans.


    His thoughts were interrupted by a voice. ¡®Is the Facility Lord a Chosen? Can we finally finish our plans here? Oh, I hope we finally won¡¯t have to listen to that monster and complete the master¡¯s plan.¡¯


    Surprised, Werth looked at his subordinate. She hadn¡¯t said anything, yet that had been her voice. Then it clicked. So, this was Mind Read, one of the possible Blessings given to a Blessed. The Facility Lord smiled. This would make his job easier.

 The Philosophy of Murder

    ¡°What is this order you two were talking about?¡±


    Pecta sighed as he leaned back in his chair. I followed his example only to discover that the wood was very uncomfortable.


    ¡°Saying that the bandages are worn by followers of Noctus isn¡¯t the entire truth. They are worn by followers with a very distinct ideology.¡± Pecta cringed as if he remembered something from his past. ¡°They believe that the end justifies the means as long as it¡¯s in service of a better world. Stealing, murder, torture, all is good if it achieves that end goal.¡±


    My discomfort at wearing garments that symbolise these horrible acts was obvious and Pecta let out a light chuckle. ¡°Those were some very harsh examples. Most of the people who wear these bandages don¡¯t break the law. If that was the case, the authorities would lock up anyone who wore them. Although the Creator¡¯s Church is very close to doing so.¡±


    ¡°What is the Creator¡¯s Church?¡± I asked, interrupting his explanation. He had mentioned them once when talking about the goddess he followed.


    Despite having interrupted him, Pecta calmly explained. ¡°They are the main religious organisation of the Kingdom of Sanktrum. They are dedicated to the worship of the Pantheon of Order, which consists of the gods of Light, Justice, Righteousness, Peace, Harvest, Prosperity, and Forgiveness.¡±


    I blinked. ¡®Wow, that¡¯s a lot of gods¡¯. Seven different deities in only one pantheon. When Pecta had talked about gods, all-powerful beings, I had assumed that there were only a couple of them. Logically speaking, it didn¡¯t make sense that there were so many gods. Wouldn¡¯t they get in each other''s way? And if they were all omniscient how would such a conflict end? I didn¡¯t voice my doubts, as this seemed to be a topic my companion held very dear to him.


    Pecta shook his head. ¡°Let''s not get off topic. As I was saying, not all of these followers of Noctus break the law or do evil stuff. However, some of them have banded together and formed a¡­¡±


    He thought for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t want to call them a cult, as that would probably be an overstatement. I have seen what a cult is capable of and these people aren¡¯t even close to that level of evil. No, I would say that they are an organisation, a guild if you will. They call themselves ¡®Noctus¡¯ Dream¡¯.¡±


    He sneered. ¡°You should be wary of anyone who names their group after a god.¡± I leaned forward in my chair, full of trepidation. ¡°So, what do they do?¡± I asked. Pecta raised his hands and motioned for me to slow down.


    ¡°Let me first get something to drink.¡± Before I could give him my water flask, he pulled out a half-full bottle and took a big gulp. He offered it to me but I refused. The stench coming from the liquid reminded me of the alley outside.


    After a short pause, he continued. ¡°They are glorified assassins that go after people who they see as evil,¡± he disapprovingly stated. I leaned farther into my chair. My thoughts on killing weren¡¯t as black and white as when I had first entered this world.


    On one hand, killing was bad. I didn¡¯t know what happened to the soul after death but I had a theory. The river of darkness I had inhabited before coming to the physical world still haunted me. If that was where one''s soul ended up after death then nobody deserved to die.


    But by that logic, I had damed several souls to such an end. However, they had been trying to kill me and would have murdered even more innocent people if they had continued living. Stopping that wasn¡¯t evil. It was good.


    All in all, I concluded to not judge others so quickly. My thoughts on assassins weren¡¯t very positive but Noctus¡¯ Dream didn¡¯t sound too bad. If they only killed evil people then that should be fine. I asked Pecta why he wasn¡¯t such a fan of them.


    He frowned at my question. ¡°Don¡¯t you see the obvious flaw in their ideology? Who decides what is evil and good? No mortal should have the authority to decide about such matters.¡±


    In my admittedly small experience, some people were very obviously evil. For example, the mercenaries or the mage. But then there were people like Sarvad. I cocked my head. Maybe it wasn¡¯t so obvious.


    ¡°What is your experience with them?¡± I asked. ¡°You said that they operated in your home city.¡±


    He sighed but nodded. ¡°Yes, a big part of their organisation operated in the city. Here is a recommendation for you: don¡¯t visit Wirmaw. Assassins, criminals, and cultists all around. A lot of violence.¡±


    He took another gulp from the bottle while I pondered. ¡°How did you know that Lilith was a member? What did you call her?¡±


    ¡°A Shadow Hand,¡± he answered. ¡°That¡¯s what the members call themselves. And I had a hunch. The way she fought was familiar.¡± I nodded, honestly impressed that he could identify something like that from a fight that had lasted less than 5 seconds. ¡°What does that mean for us?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°Honestly? I have no idea. Seran has no chapter of Noctus¡¯ Dream, I¡¯m sure of it. What a lone member is doing out here I have no idea but I know one thing.¡± He leaned forward conspiratorially and whispered, ¡°She¡¯s trouble.¡±


    He took another sip from the bottle and abruptly stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep,¡± he mumbled and walked on unsteady legs to the pile of hay in the corner. He grabbed a bunch of it and fashioned a makeshift bed before collapsing onto it.


    There were still a lot of questions but I decided that I could ask them tomorrow. I took an example from Pecta and formed the remaining hay into another bed. Sleep was something strange. I had wandered the desert for days without any need for it. But now as I laid on my back, the hay barely softening the stone floor, I felt my eyes drift shut.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    My experience with sleep was unique. The one time I had slept the parasite had tried to take control of me. Thanks to Adam this probably wouldn¡¯t happen again but it left a sour taste in my mouth.


    During our trip through the desert, Pecta told me that dreams are controlled by the gods. He believes that they are a way for them to send messages to us mortals and guide our path. If that was the case, then I never wanted to meet the twisted god that created my dream.


    It started innocently enough. I was walking through a stone corridor. Glowing rocks on the ceiling allowed me to see that it stretched on endlessly. No sounds could be heard except for my echoing footsteps.


    Suddenly, a second pair of footsteps joined mine. Then a third, and a fourth, until I could hear six distinct entities walking behind me. I tried to turn my head and see who it was but my body wouldn¡¯t let me. I could only stare straight ahead.


    My body started speeding up until I was lightly jogging. The sounds from behind me made it clear that my followers were keeping pace. Then the screams began.


    Without any prompting our jog turned into a full-on run until the ceiling lights became a blur. I noted that I could only hear 5 people running behind me. Then a thud sounded like something or someone big had hit the floor. Now only 4 of them remained. My body kept running, even as the corridor started to change.


    It twisted and turned as if reality had lost control over it. In an instant, the walls were covered with eyes. Not symbols of eyes, but real, human eyes. They followed me with their gaze as I continued to sprint for my life. Another thud and another scream signaled the loss of 2 other souls.


    The walls started to pulsate as if they were a living thing. Some of the eyes started bleeding, their dripping adding another sound besides the frantic running.


    Another cry and only I and another remained. I expected another cry of pain, the sound of a body hitting the floor to never rise again. But it didn¡¯t happen. Instead the last person following me just¡­ stopped. Their footsteps simply cut off.


    I desperately wanted to look behind me but before I had any chance to do that a clawed hand broke through the ground in front of me. It snatched my ankle and tried to pull me underground. I clawed at the ground, desperate to find any sort of grip. But the surface was too smooth and my two human hands could not find anything to grip onto. The last thing I saw before I woke up was the ceiling that was watching me with countless eyes.


    I woke up with a gasp. The room was dimly lit by the device on the table and Pecta was still sleeping next to me. I stood up, trying to be as quiet as possible, and walked over to the exit. A small peephole next to the entrance was my goal.


    A look told me that it was still dark outside, suggesting that I had not slept very long. I walked back to the table, deciding to wait for Pecta before doing anything. Quietly taking a seat I started to wait.


    I didn¡¯t know how long I waited before giving up. It was simply too boring. Still, I didn¡¯t want to wake my companion. After all, he had done for me, it was the least I could do. I decided to explore our temporary new home.


    Granted, it was pretty small but it was also an assassin hideout. I would be very disappointed if there weren¡¯t any secrets. The first thing I did was to scan the walls for irregularities by brushing my hand against them. I was so engrossed in my task that I didn¡¯t notice Pecta waking up.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± His voice broke me from my stupor. I sighed at my continued lack of success. ¡°I was searching for a hidden cache but it looks like there¡¯s nothing here.¡± I turned around and sank into one of the chairs.


    From the corner of my eye, I saw Pecta standing up and slowly walking to the corner of the room where the hay had been. He swiped away the remaining stalks and pushed something with his hand.


    Suddenly, a small part of the ground fell away, revealing a ladder leading into another room. I stared at the opening in shock, as my companion calmly walked back to his makeshift bed and lay back down.


    ¡°Wha- How?¡± I stuttered. ¡°Oh, I noticed it yesterday,¡± Pecta said in a muffled voice. It was obvious that he was still sleepy. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you tell me? Shouldn¡¯t we have explored it before going to bed?¡± It was very uncharacteristic of him to simply ignore a potential threat.


    I for one was mad that I hadn¡¯t had the chance to immediately explore it.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked tiredly. ¡°We¡¯re in a Noctus hideout. What do you think will be there, genius?¡± It took a while before he realised who he was talking to.


    With a groan, he sat back up and stretched his arms behind his back. ¡°Sorry, forgot that you are kind of new to this whole¡­ living thing. That down there is a shrine dedicated to Noctus. His followers have this weird thing about hiding his places of worship.¡±


    During his explanation, I had leaned forward to better listen to him. It was fascinating to learn about the people living in this world and religion was something that I didn¡¯t fully understand.


    Before asking any more questions I decided to explore the shrine. I still needed to explain to Pecta what I had learned the other day but that could wait. It was obvious that he required sleep.


    As I reached the bottom of the ladder I coughed. Dust was everywhere and I was certain that this shrine wasn¡¯t used often. The underground chamber was even smaller than the one above and I needed to duck down as to not hit the ceiling. The only thing of interest was the apparent shrine that filled up most of the room.


    Most of it consisted of a simple wooden block. I squinted. There were small symbols carved into the green wood. I couldn¡¯t decipher what they meant but it had to be important. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be on something dedicated to a god. I decided to ask Lilith about it.


    But what caught my attention were the three figurines on the shrine. They were intricately carved and looked so lifelike. The first showed a smiling man, reaching out with his hand as if he was trying to make a deal with someone. He looked friendly but then I noticed that his other hand was hidden behind his back. A quick look showed that there was a carved dagger held in it, just hidden from view. Not so nice after all.


    The next figurine depicted a cloaked figure sitting cross-legged on the ground. Both of their hands were visible and contained coins of varying sizes. I remembered Pecta saying that Noctus was also the patron of merchants. Maybe that was what the coins symbolised?


    But the last one was the most abstract. It showed a vaguely humanoid form that had clawed hands and feet, with tendrils stretching out from its back. Of all the figurines this one was the most monstrous.


    Were these depictions of Noctus? What did they symbolise? Another subject I would ask Lilith about.


    I was about to leave but stopped before doing so. Would it be rude to leave without giving a prayer? The traditions were foreign to me and I didn¡¯t want to do something wrong. I called out to Pecta and waited for his head to appear above me.


    ¡°Do I need to pray before leaving?¡± I asked. ¡°I mean, no,¡± he answered. ¡°It isn¡¯t necessary but it also wouldn¡¯t hurt. Praying shows respect and as far as I know, Noctus isn¡¯t very strict with prayers. Just don¡¯t insult him. Even if you won¡¯t meet him, he did save your life. At least, if that assassin is telling the truth and isn¡¯t delusional.¡±


    Turning back to the altar I went on my knees and folded my hands together like I had seen Pecta do when praying. ¡°Hello, Noctus, God of Shadow.¡± I thought about what I would say but came up blank. Short and simple would probably be best.


    ¡°Your shrine looks very nice and I hope that you guide our path. I don¡¯t know if it is true that you told Lilith to save us. If that¡¯s the case then I¡¯m thankful for it. Have a nice day.¡± I let out a sigh and stood back up. Then everything went black.

 Of Gods and Demons

    I was outside. A frantic look around revealed that the stone walls of the shrine room had disappeared. Instead, I was surrounded by an array of plants the likes of which I had never seen before.


    They ranged from small purple flowers to colossal trees that blocked out the sky. Huge leaves covered everything and vines that looked like hungry snakes reached out towards me. The only light came through cracks in the canopy, but it wasn¡¯t enough to dispel the shadows.


    I shivered and unconsciously wrapped my arms around myself. Not even the hottest desert day had affected me, but this atmosphere was unnatural. The shadows were longer than they had any right to be and radiated a dark coldness.


    Under any other circumstances, this would have been fascinating, but right now I was panicking. ¡®Where am I? What is going on? Where is Pecta?¡¯ My breathing quickened as I looked around frantically. The suddenness of it all was driving me mad. My eyes stopped as they landed on my claw. I flexed it. It felt¡­ different.


    Most of the time I had spent in the physical realm it had felt strange and empty. It wasn¡¯t mine to begin with, but I controlled it. Now the emptiness was gone, replaced by a silent presence. I didn¡¯t know what to make of it, but the distraction allowed me to focus.


    I turned my attention to the main problem. ¡®Think, Vindict, think. What is the last thing that you remember? Well, I was praying to Noctus and then¡­¡¯ If my face had any colour it would have disappeared.


    When Pecta said that I wouldn¡¯t meet a god, he hadn¡¯t considered it a real possibility. And why should he? Gods are omnipotent beings, so why would one take the time to summon me? If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that I was standing here right after praying to Noctus I wouldn¡¯t believe it either.


    A frustrated sigh escaped my lips. Why couldn¡¯t my life be normal? Damit, I just want to experience the world! Not be dragged into all sorts of dangerous situations. Having the attention of a god definitely didn¡¯t count as normal.


    At least now I could say for sure that Lilith hadn¡¯t lied. Although, maybe it would have been better if she had. ¡®Nothing you can do about it now¡¯. I just had to deal with whatever the world threw at me and try my best to get through it.


    Looking around, I realised that the only way forward was an overgrown dirt trail that led deeper into the jungle. Of course, I could attempt to break through the greenery, but something told me that that wasn¡¯t a good idea. I squinted. Was that a light? Yes, there was definitely a light shining in the distance. A clear indication of where to go. With nothing better to do, I started trekking toward the glow.


    I tried my best to be quiet, but with every step I took I could hear the crack of a stick or the crunch of leaves beneath my feet. They echoed through the forest, unnaturally loud. This was another thing that creeped me out. I had never been in a forest before, but I assumed that there would be lots of animals making noises. But not here. My footsteps were the only thing that could be heard.


    But that didn¡¯t mean I was alone. I could feel the stares of countless eyes upon me and more than once I saw movement in the corner of my vision. This place had countless inhabitants, all of them silently watching me.


    Suddenly, the trees parted and I found myself in a clearing. A massive bonfire dominated the centre, surrounded by stone pillars jutting out of the dirt at random angles. Their shadows danced unnaturally across the clearing.


    But what caught my attention was the figure sitting on a log beside the fire. A black cowl, very similar to those worn by the carved figurines, obscured most of their body. The only visible part were their human-looking hands.


    The figure was busy carving a small piece of wood with a simple knife. Suddenly, they stopped and placed the half-finished items on the ground. Slowly they twisted their head in my direction and beckoned me to come closer. A glance at their face showed that, despite their hands, this creature definitely wasn¡¯t human.


    Beneath the cowl there was simply¡­ nothing. An inky void stared back at me. A pressure settled on my shoulders and for once I truly realised that I was in the presence of a god. Not a mortal being, but something beyond the physical world. Why people prayed to these beings was now clear to me.


    I wasn¡¯t unnerved because of the god¡¯s appearance. Judging based off of someones looks was a bad thing to do. No, my reaction came from his presence and the fact that I had been told about the power of gods. Even though I was still alive, I knew that that could change quickly.


    The god continued to motion me forward. Steeling my nerves, I approached and sat down on the log next to him. Without saying a word, the god picked the figurine back up and continued working on it.


    I glanced at his work. It was a wooden armoured man without a head. The carving was largely unfinished but I could make out the symbol of a sun on his breastplate.


    ¡°Nice craving,¡± I said to break the silence. The figure looked down at it. Suddenly, a small tendril of darkness shot out from the shadow of a stone pillar and dragged the figurine back with it. As if nothing had happened, the creature looked back at me.


    ¡°Not so nice carving?¡± I corrected, trying my best to make any sense of this situation. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Vindict. And I assume that you are Noctus. Nice to meet you.¡± Reflexively I raised my arm for a handshake. The god didn¡¯t react and continued to stare at me. Slowly I put my arm back down.


    Not knowing what to do I kept talking. ¡°What is this place and why am I here? I¡¯m grateful to you for saving me from the assassins and I have no problem with repaying you, if that¡¯s what you want. As long as the prize is right. My body isn¡¯t up for grabs.¡± I added that last part just to be safe.


    It took a few moments before the god began to speak. His voice sounded like an old man¡¯s, but also somehow wet. As if this old man was currently drowning in a lake. ¡°It seems like I always find those who lack the proper decorum.¡±


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    A wet laugh that sounded like someone¡¯s last moments among the living followed. ¡°Yes, I am Noctus, God of Shadows and several other aspects that you mortals constantly overlook. Welcome to my realm. Your existence is¡­ intriguing, little demon.¡±


    Hearing someone call you intriguing was a clear sign of trouble to come. Especially when that someone was a god.


    ¡°Could you tell me why that is? I have only been alive for a few weeks, yet is seems that people are constantly trying to harm me.¡± I furrowed my non-existent eyebrows. ¡°Have I done something bad to deserve this?¡±


    Noctus was silent for a moment. His featureless face made it impossible to tell what he was thinking. With a wet gurgle, that I could only interpret as a sigh, he explained. ¡°Often it is not about what you do but about what you are. ¡®Actions have consequences¡¯ is a cute phrase you mortals invented but it is an oversimplification.¡± He paused. ¡°In your case it is more about what you represent that is so intriguing to us gods.¡±


    His response left much to be desired but there was one thing that I noted. Noctus, God of Shadows, talked very¡­ normal. Apart from the god¡¯s voice, his speech pattern was identical to that of a regular human. I didn¡¯t know what I had expected but for a god to talk like that was unexpected.


    I shook my head, trying to put his words together, but couldn¡¯t quite fit the pieces together. It felt like something was missing. ¡°You called me ¡®little demon¡¯. Because of my claw, right? Is that the reason why you are interested in me?¡± As I said this I pointed at the appendage.


    Now that I focused on it I noticed that its presence had become more agitated since I had approached the god. It felt more alive.


    Noctus shrugged his shoulders, a gesture that looked a little comical coming from his form. ¡°That¡¯s just what you are. I could call you lesser demon, half-demon, or demonic abomination. All of these names have their merits.¡±


    ¡°So, I am neither human nor monster,¡± I pressed onward. Being in the presence of a god was risky but it did have its benefits. This creature could no doubt answer a lot of my questions. ¡°I am a ¡®demon¡¯, whatever that is. What¡¯s the problem?¡±


    The god let out a low chuckle. ¡°The problem is that you are not a true demon. If that were the case, we would have already sent our servants down to smite you. No, you are only partially a demon which means that the contract forbids us from sending divine servants to the mortal realm.¡±


    I understood less than half of what he said but what I did understand worried me. The gods weren¡¯t big fans of demons and the only thing that saved me was some contract. What kind of contract bound the gods was a mystery to me.


    ¡°You are half demon, half human.¡± He shook his head in what I assumed was astonishment. ¡°I don¡¯t know how those crazy cultists did it, but somehow they managed to fuse a human with a demon. An abomination in the eyes of many gods. Two of the worst species combined.¡±


    That made me stop. ¡°Wait, what¡¯s so bad about humans?¡±


    Noctus burst out into wheezing laughter that rippled through his entire body. ¡°Ignore that,¡± he replied between fits of gurgling laughter. The sound wasn¡¯t very pleasant. ¡°Just a bit of God-humour.¡±


    He calmed down quickly after that. ¡°But that¡¯s not important. Your survival depends entirely on no god taking action against you. An impossibility. Sooner or later you will be hunted down.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡± I asked desperately. ¡°Why does your kind want to hunt me down? Saying that I am a half demon isn¡¯t a proper answer. Why is that bad? And who are these cultists who created me?¡± Most of the information Noctus had given me was new but it only raised more questions.


    ¡°You want to know about your creators?¡± Noctus asked. When I nodded gratefully he continued. ¡°They are a group of people called-¡°


    Suddenly, the world began to rumble. I jumped to my feet and reached for my dagger but a sudden pressure enveloped my body. Straining my muscles I tried to move, but a glance at the sky stopped me. Dozens of gigantic eyes had emerged from the darkness and were unblinkingly starring down at us.


    ¡°Apparently someone doesn¡¯t want me to tell you,¡± Noctus said calmly. The god hadn¡¯t moved from his original position and was facing the bonfire. He waved his hand dismissively at the sky.


    ¡°This is my domain. Leave before I show you the consequences of your actions. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t reveal too much.¡± The eyes remained open for another couple of seconds before one closed, quickly followed by the rest.


    The pressure vanished as the last one disappeared, leaving the sky as black as it had been when I arrived. Only a faint moon gave any light. With still shaking legs I sat back down.


    ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± A rare curse came out of my mouth. That presence had rattled me.


    Noctus shook his head. ¡°It is always difficult to work with beings that have a strict philosophy. It pains me to do so but I will respect her wishes. Don¡¯t worry, you will get your answers soon enough. As for the demon question? Ask your religious friend. He should know more about demons than anyone else. You-¡±


    A loud howl interrupted the shadow god. It echoed across the clearing and seemed to come from everywhere at once. I jumped, but Noctus was unaffected. Turning around I could just make out movement through the tree line.


    ¡°Another hunt has begun. Pity, I missed the start,¡± Noctus commented. He stood up and turned to me. ¡°This is the end of our conversation. I am interested to see how things will end for you. Although, your survival is an unlikely outcome.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± I shouted. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you help me? I know you¡¯ve already done a service for me but couldn¡¯t you, I don¡¯t know, use your omnipotent god powers to get rid of the people hunting me?¡±


    The god let out another bubbling laugh. ¡°Oh, how I envy the naivety of you mortals.¡± He leaned towards me as if he was about to reveal a great secret. ¡°Despite your beliefs we gods are not all-powerful. There are rules that limit our interactions with the mortal realm.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± My disappointment was immense. ¡°There are several ways I could help you,¡± the god commented. I perked back up. ¡°What could you do?¡±


    Noctus shrugged. ¡°I can give Blessings. Not to you, since divine and demonic essence don¡¯t mix. Nor to your companion since he worships Persa.¡± He tilted his head sideways. ¡°Giving Lilith extra power would be an option. But it wouldn¡¯t be worth it. Goodbye.¡±


    He raised his hand but I interrupted him. ¡°Why not?¡± I asked, frustrated at his lack of an explanation. Noctus shrugged. ¡°Because it¡¯s not worth the risk,¡± he replied coldly. ¡°According to my predictions, her chances of survival are as slim as yours. Investing in her won¡¯t benefit me.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so this is what it is all about.¡± Hearing his words made me remember what kind of world this was. ¡°Everything is about benefiting oneself. What do you really want? Why are you helping me?¡±


    The god shrugged, not reacting to my aggressive tone. ¡°You said you were willing to give something in exchange for saving you. Fortunately for you, you have nothing of interest to me at the time. All I ask of you is that you try your best to survive and take my Blessed with you. Afterwards? Well, we will talk about that later.¡±


    Before I could respond he raised his hand to signal for me to be quiet. It looked like he was thinking about what to say next.


    ¡°Your death doesn¡¯t benefit me. That¡¯s why I will share some advice with you. Free of charge.¡± The shadows around us flickered and I could feel countless eyes watching me. Noctus leaned forward.


    ¡°Do not trust the seekers of knowledge and beware of those who worship false gods,¡± he whispered. ¡°That is my first piece of advice. The next one isn¡¯t for you.¡± The god didn¡¯t have eyes but his gaze was like a physical force. I felt it move from my head down to my claw. The appendage began to tremble.


    Suddenly, it shot towards the god only to be caught by shadowy tendrils sprouting from his face. Without missing a beat Noctus continued. ¡°You are a lost piece of a greater whole. Discarded like a lost strand of hair.¡± He paused. ¡°The Broken Beast is a tragic creature. Twisted by its maker and corrupted by rage. You are not the beast. Let go of the demon¡¯s anger. It doesn¡¯t belong to you.¡±


    With that everything around me disappeared.

 A quick Lesson in History

    ¡°Yeah, he does that sometimes,¡± Lilith remarked as she leaned back in her chair. I glanced at Pecta who was staring at her. ¡°Let me get this straight,¡± he began, taking a deep breath. ¡°The fact that a GOD appeared before Vindict doesn¡¯t concern you? No less that the god, your PATRON, doesn¡¯t think we''ll leave this city alive?¡±


    Lilith shrugged. ¡°Not really. Noctus can be dramatic at times. Besides, I¡¯m a Chosen. There is nothing to fear.¡± The assassin reached out and grabbed the half-full bottle that was still on the table. She took a swig and sighed.


    ¡°By Noctus¡¯ bandaged ass, this tastes great. Didn¡¯t expect you to have a good taste in alcohol.¡± Pecta glared and muttered something about alcoholics and blasphemy. The former was a bit ironic, considering that it was his bottle.


    After taking a deep breath, he tried again. ¡°Your god wants you to leave everything you have built here and leave immediately. Doesn¡¯t that make you, I don¡¯t know, sad?¡± That seemed to get through to her.


    She put the bottle back down and took on a thoughtful look. Then she laughed. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m glad to be gone from this dump. She leaned conspiratorially towards me and fake whispered, ¡°This year has been soooo boring. I¡¯m sure that we can both have some fun, despite Mr Grumpy over there.¡±


    I liked fun, but Pecta apparently didn¡¯t, as he groaned and muttered more things I''d rather not put to paper. He looked for a place to sit but both of the chairs were occupied so he plopped down on his makeshift bed.


    There was a lull in the conversation and I decided that now was the time to ask something I had been wondering about. ¡°I have a question.¡± Pecta motioned for me to continue. ¡°What is a demon?¡±


    It was immediately obvious that this wasn¡¯t a benign question. Pecta froze up and looked around frantically. ¡°How the hell do you know about demons?!¡± He hissed angrily.


    Taken aback by his anger I rethought what I was about to say. ¡°It was something Noctus happened to mention.¡± This wasn¡¯t lying. I was just biding my time until I knew more.


    Pecta took a few deep breaths to calm himself. ¡°Don¡¯t mention that subject again.¡± Lilith who had been watching our exchange burst out laughing. It took her a while to calm down and wipe a tear from her eye. ¡°Oh, your reaction was hilarious.¡±


    Pecta glared at her, something he had been doing a lot throughout our conversation. Lilith gestured with her hand. ¡°Just tell him about them. The worst that can happen is that he gets nightmares and I doubt that you¡¯re a good enough storyteller for that.¡± Turning to me she said, ¡°To sum up everything he is about to say: Demons are bogeymen that mothers tell bedtime stories about when their child has been naughty.¡±


    Pecta shook his head in disbelief. ¡°How can you, a Chosen, doubt their existence?!¡± Lilith waved away his concerns. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t doubt that they exist. Noctus has spoken of them many times. But the fact of the matter is that they are all trapped in Hell. They can¡¯t do shit, no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure of that,¡± Pecta muttered, too softly for the assassin to hear. He looked at me and sighed.


    ¡°Your curiosity will be the death of you. Still, I¡¯ll indulge you. If you promise me to never bring up that topic ever again.¡± I quickly nodded and Pecta began his explanation.


    ¡°To start things off, I need to talk about the creation of the world. In the beginning, there were seven gods. The Original Gods. They are responsible for the creation of everything. The Chaossoother separated the worlds, the Creator sculpted ours, the Lifegiver brought life into it, the-¡± ¡°He wanted to hear about demons not about this church prattle,¡± Lilith interrupted him.


    Pecta wasn¡¯t happy but he complied and skipped ahead in his explanation.


    ¡°They joined together and created something beautiful. But one of them was unable to create anything. The seventh god, the Destroyer, had only one talent. He watched with envy as his brethren''s creations flourished in this new world. He despised them and soon he hatched a plan. On that day, he succeeded in creating something. Creatures born from destruction and created for the sole purpose of causing more. There were 101 of them and he nicknamed them ¡®Demons¡¯.¡±


    ¡°The other Original Gods watched in horror, as the Demons tore through their creations. They rallied their children, gods and mortals alike, and declared war on this menace. The war was brutal and lasted for centuries but after much bloodshed they were victorious. They sealed the Destroyer in a prison outside this world and banished his creations to the realm known as Hell.¡±


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    ¡°In the aftermath, the Original Gods made a decision. They would leave this fledgling world so that their creations could live in peace.¡± Lilith snorted but Pecta continued unperturbed. ¡°They left their divine children to watch over their mortal ones and departed, never to be heard from again."


    Pecta¡¯s eyes had gone glassy and I could tell that he was reciting something he had learned by heart. And I could understand why. The history of this world was wild. I considered clapping but decided against it. Instead I quietly asked the question that had been plaguing my mind. ¡°If the demons are gone, then what is the problem?¡±


    Pecta sighed and laughed sadly. ¡°If only the demons were gone. A part of them still lingers, infecting anyone who comes into contact with it.¡± I waited for him to continue but he just stopped.Even Lilith was silent.


    ¡°I have said too much. Never mention this subject again and don¡¯t forget: beware the demons.¡± I swallowed but nodded reluctantly. Pecta was someone I trusted. I had told him almost everything about myself and he had done his best to help me every step of the way. If it weren¡¯t for him I would still be wandering around the desert or in the stomach of a sandworm.


    Still, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell him the truth. It didn¡¯t matter that I was only part demon and that I had found a way to suppress it. What if he started to hate me? Or worse, what If he tried to kill me? I just couldn¡¯t tell him. One simple lie of omission was ok, right? Then why was my throat so dry?


    Lilith cleared her throat. ¡°On that note, I have to go. There''s a meeting at the guild hall that I can¡¯t miss.¡± Pecta raised an eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t strike me as the kind of person who goes to meetings.¡±


    It was hard to read emotions through Lilith¡¯s bandages but I sensed annoyance. ¡°Believe me, I would love to ¡®accidentally¡¯ miss it. The Guild Master usually lets me do my own thing because he knows how important I am. But this time he made it clear that I need to be there.¡±


    The assassin leaned forward. ¡°I bet you one prince that the meeting is about you guys. There hasn¡¯t been any big briefing about this job despite how obviously important it is to the Guild Master.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not taking that bet,¡± Pecta deadpanned. ¡°But I would love to know who placed a contract out on us.¡± He glanced in my direction and I suddenly remembered that I had something to tell them. I cleared my throat and stood up. ¡°I think I have some answers to that.¡±


    I didn¡¯t tell them everything. Some parts were too personal, like everything surrounding the mindscape, and some too dangerous (me being part demon). But I did tell them about the horned woman and my suspicions that a large organisation was hunting for me. The reason for this was that they had experimented on me and now wanted to see the results. To explain how I knew this, I claimed that I was starting to remember parts of my past.


    This whole process involved sharing a lot of personal information with Lilith, someone who I barely knew. It was uncomfortable but she deserved to know the truth. The assassin had stuck her neck out for us and was now involved in this whole mess.


    Reactions to my revelation were surprisingly mild. ¡°To be honest, I suspected something similar,¡± Pecta said. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that you are partially human with an unnatural monster half.¡±


    He scoffed. ¡°Powerful people experimenting on us common folk isn¡¯t very surprising either.¡±


    Lilith nodded along, for once not mocking him. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe the shit I¡¯ve seen as a Shadow Hand,¡± she remarked. ¡°People like that are the ones we kill.¡±


    The calm wasn¡¯t expected but appreciated. It highlighted how much these two had gone through that this didn¡¯t faze them. Both of them definitely had some interesting stories to tell. Hopefully, I would get to hear them.


    For now we needed to get back on track. ¡°Our goal should be to leave Seran as soon as possible.¡± Both of my companions nodded at my assessment so I continued. ¡°The next caravan leaves in 2 weeks, right?¡± Pecta had told me that this morning.


    ¡°We need supplies to last us that long,¡± I said while looking around the room. I could survive just fine without food but my human companion couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Speaking of supplies,¡± Pecta started. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to bring us some today?¡± His accusing look made Lilith scratch the back of her head in what I assumed to be embarrassment. ¡°I''ve had a long night and I can¡¯t guarantee that I can bring you anything in the next couple of days. The guild master will probably keep me occupied.¡± Pecta cursed but Lilith raised her hands calmingly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have a solution: You go.¡±


    ¡°How is that going to work?¡± I asked, purposely ignoring my companion¡¯s cursing. ¡°The guild is also looking for him, right?¡± Lilith waved away my concerns. ¡°That is true but don¡¯t worry. I have seen the poster they have of him.¡± She snorted. ¡°It¡¯s shit. Besides, the guildies will be distracted by that meeting. Today is one of the safest days for you to be out and about.¡±


    Finally done with his cursing Pecta sighed. ¡°Guess I have no choice,¡± he grumbled. ¡°Perfect,¡± Lilith replied, barely able to contain her laughter.


    ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡± I asked, eager to be of help. My two companions were silent. ¡°Stay here?¡± I guessed dejectedly. Pecta nodded while Lilith shrugged. ¡°Yeah, pretty much. Unless you want to ruin the whole setup we have going on.¡± I sighed but agreed. They were right. For the time being I needed to stay out of sight.


    Lilith stood up. ¡°Well, I have to go. Bye.¡± Pecta also stood up and gave me his goodbye. With a bit of frustration I watched as both of my companions crawled out of the shelter. Free to go outside and explore the city. ''Maybe this is for the best,¡¯ I thought as I leaned back in my chair. There were some internal things I needed to do.

 Den of Vipers

    Pecta sighed as he closed the hidden entrance behind him. The next few days would either be extremely boring or far too action-packed. He desperately hoped for the former but knowing his luck, it would be the latter. Sending a quick prayer to Persa he turned around to glare at the whistling assassin leaning innocently against the wall.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a meeting to go to?¡± He asked annoyed. Lilith chuckled. ¡°The meeting can¡¯t start until I¡¯m there, which means that I have all the time in the world. Perks of being a Chosen.¡±


    ¡°Perks of being impudent,¡± Pecta muttered as he walked past her. ¡°Where exactly is this guild hall of yours?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a secret,¡± Lilith replied cheekily. ¡°But it¡¯s in the direction of the market.¡± Coincidentally, that was where he needed to go. Grumbling, Pecta continued walking down the narrow alley, Lilith not far behind. Like all Shadow Hands, her movement was completely soundless. If he hadn¡¯t know that she was there, he would have been completely oblivious.


    Having a trained assassin within backstab range was unnerving, and under regular circumstances Pecta would have never put himself in such a position. Only the fact that betraying them would be detrimental to Lilith allowed him to remain calm.


    No matter how much gold she was offered, a Shadow Hand would never go against the wishes of her patron. Granted, Lilith was¡­ different from others of her kind, but such an underlying principle should still apply.


    ¡°Guilty Sinner or Fallen Saint?¡± Pecta¡¯s steps almost faltered but he managed not to react. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you''re talking about,¡± he replied with just enough harshness to hopefully shut her up. It didn¡¯t work. ¡°Come on, I know you Persa followers have wacky categories that you put yourself into. I¡¯m just curious,¡± Lilith clarified.


    Pecta had to stifle a facepalm. ¡°I would appreciate it if you didn¡¯t call my beliefs ¡®wacky¡¯. Also it is none of your business.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where you''re wrong,¡± Lilith countered. Her tone shifted from lighthearted to serious in an instant. ¡°My job is to protect Vindict. To do that I need to assess the character of the people he surrounds himself with. Specifically you.¡±


    Sarvad stopped. Any other person following him would have bumped into his back. Not a Shadow Hand. Without turning around Pecta said, ¡°What are you implying? That I¡¯m gonna betray him?¡±


    Lilith chuckled. ¡°No, no, no. I¡¯m only implying that you¡¯re in the perfect position to do so. It would really ease my concerns if I knew your motivation.¡±


    Scoffing, Pecta turned around. Lilith¡¯s expression was impossible to read beneath the bandages. ¡°What? Can¡¯t someone do good because it¡¯s the right thing to do? Or does that little assassin brain of yours not know the definition of the word ¡®good¡¯?¡±


    Instead of getting angry the assassin smiled. ¡°Shadow Hand here. Our whole motivation is to make the world a better place.¡± Before Pecta could laugh, Lilith continued. ¡°But of course, that is a possible explanation for why you are helping him.¡±


    Pecta smiled arrogantly. ¡°Was that so hard to understand?¡± Without another word he continued walking. ¡°However, coming from a follower of Persa I find that answer very unlikely.¡± Instead of responding to her provocation, he continued walking. Lilith quickened her pace to keep up.


    ¡°You''re not the first follower of Persa that I have met. Do you know the common link between all of you? Guilt. All followers of Persa feel guilty about something, which is why they flock to the Goddess of Forgiveness. To seek forgiveness for their actions.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to hear my opinion?¡± He really didn¡¯t, but it was doubtful that he had a choice.


    ¡°Persa is an easy way out for anyone who feels guilty.¡± Pecta clenched his fists and kept walking. It wouldn¡¯t be long before he reached the main road and he could rid himself of this pest that didn¡¯t know how to shut up.


    ¡°What do you feel guilty about? Oh, let me guess! Did you kill someone? If it makes you feel any better, some people absolutely deserve to die. That¡¯s why I joined Noctus¡¯ Dream.¡± He kept walking despite her statement hitting a little too close to home.


    ¡°Nah, that can¡¯t be it,¡± she continued. ¡°You have killed people but you don¡¯t feel guilty about it. Or at least that isn¡¯t the main reason. The way you act and your appearance give me thug vibes. That''s not an insult, just my observation. Am I right?¡±


    Just keep walking.


    ¡°Still, I think it has something to do with death. Perhaps something you have failed to prevent? That is a very common reason.¡± All this was said in a contemplative tone, but it felt like she was mocking him. Mocking his struggles and his beliefs. Making fun of him. Pecta was really starting to dislike her.


    ¡°Was it someone you loved?¡± He spun around, causing the assassin take a hurried step back. ¡°Do you know why I hate Noctus¡¯ Dream?¡± He seethed. Lilith raised an eyebrow from beneath her bandages. ¡°The killing?¡±


    Pecta sputtered but managed to quickly compose himself. ¡°Of course it¡¯s the murder. Killing someone because you think they deserve it is a despicable and arrogant act. Only Rashyta, Goddess of Justice, should decide the punishment for one''s actions. Nocus¡¯ Dream is a club filled with arrogant people who think they can play god.¡±


    During his little monologue Pecta had subtly assumed a fighting stance. His aim wasn¡¯t violence, but he had insulted Lilith¡¯s order by speaking his honest opinion. But instead of attacking him, she looked pensive.


    ¡°I see your point,¡± she slowly admitted. ¡°But it also makes you a hypocrite. Why don¡¯t you face Rashyta and seek the just judgement for your actions? You are scared of confronting what you did, so you run to Persa for an easy way out. I don¡¯t need to know what you''ve done to see that.¡± Suddenly Pecta regretted that they hadn¡¯t come to blows. Instead of answering he turned around and quickened his pace yet again, almost running into the main road.


    <hr>


    Lilith watched Pecta flee from the alley. She shrugged and turned to head down another alley. Her words had made working with Pecta more difficult but she felt that it was worth it. Knowing about the character of the people she was working with was more important.


    Vindict and Pecta. The monster and the sinner. They made for a strange pair. She had a good understanding of Pecta but Vindict was still an enigma. He had this strange cluelessness about him, asking questions about things that were common knowledge. But she was certain that he wasn¡¯t stupid.


    The story about someone experimenting on him seemed¡­ plausible. Tragically so. However, if these people were looking for him, that would be a bit of a problem. She didn¡¯t know of any such organisation but it would have to be very powerful.


    Her mind immediately went to the Creator¡¯s Church but she dismissed it. They didn¡¯t create monsters, they killed them. She would have to ask her charge for more information but that could wait.


    Quickening her pace, she skipped through the alley network of Seran while whistling a merry tune. Every city had one, and it was the quickest way to travel, even if the chances of getting mugged were pretty high. But not for Lilith.


    The few people she met made sure to keep their distance. Her bandaged face was well known in the city¡¯s underworld and had become associated with the Desert Vipers. The thought made her cringe. The assassin did not like them.


    Sure, being the only Chosen among their ranks gave her a certain freedom in choosing her missions. She was very picky, a trait that the others despised her for, and only chose contracts where the targets had it coming to them. Despite being temporarily banished from Noctus¡¯ Dream she would continue their ideology.


    But the other members weren¡¯t so picky. They only killed for the money or because they liked murder. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that she hated them.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    It took her almost an hour to reach the guild hall. She could have been there sooner but missing out on a relaxing walk wasn¡¯t her style. Located in the wealthy part of town, it consisted of a wide two-story building with an inner courtyard. Outwardly there was nothing suspicious about it.


    Making sure no one was looking she knocked on the door. Almost immediately a slit opened and two brown eyes looked back at her. ¡°Password,¡± a gruff voice demanded. ¡°You know that its me, Alwyn,¡± Lilith casually stated. Her face was hidden by the bandages but it was one of amusement. ¡°Or do you want me to kick this door in, followed by your teeth?¡±


    There came grumbling from inside the house but in the end the door was opened. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said sarcastically while walking past the broad-shouldered man.


    ¡°The Guild Master is waiting for you,¡± he replied, obviously unhappy with Lilith¡¯s dismissive attitude. ¡°Great,¡± she cheerfully called out without looking back. Alwyn was a Junior Assassin and had only recently joined the guild. Before that he had been a common street thug who was a bit better than average at killing people. It really showed the state of the guild that the Guild Master had resorted to hiring people like that.


    She casually climbed the stairs and walked down a corridor decorated with paintings depicting various famous assassins. Lilith always felt a sense of satisfaction when she saw that more than half of them wore various symbols of Noctus. He rightfully deserved his title of Patron of Assassins.


    Another member stood guard outside the Guild Master¡¯s office. This one also welcomed her with a glare but didn¡¯t say anything. Lilith gave her a dazzling smile before entering. It wasn¡¯t her fault that she was better than all of these amateurs.


    The room was lavishly decorated, reflecting the wealth of its owner. Guild Master Wane was, after all, the head of the most feared criminal organisation in Seran. Speaking of which, the man was sitting in his leather chair behind an ornate wooden desk. Real brown wood, not the emerald wood which was grown as a cheap substitute in the Scorching Barrens.


    There were two other members sitting across from him. Both turned their heads at the sound of the door and inspected her with cold gazes. Amarum and Lyn. They held the position of Guild Elders, having worked under Wane for more than a decade. That technically made them her superiors, as Lilith was only a Senior Member. Technically.


    While in theory they were her superiors, in practice the Guild Master valued her more. Not because of her skills but because of her connection to Noctus¡¯ Dream. This annoyed her to no end but she would take what she could get. It was this fact that allowed her to attend these meetings. Not that she had any real interest in them but it was good to know what direction the leaders were taking this guild.


    ¡°Ah, good to see you,¡± Wane intoned. He was obviously annoyed at her tardiness but didn¡¯t let it show. ¡°Please sit down.¡± There was one empty seat in between Amarum and Lyn, which Lilith promptly plopped down on. The disdain radiating off of her neighbours filled her with joy. Not because she liked seeing people suffer but because she liked seeing arrogant and sadistic assholes suffer.


    Having to wait on someone who only joined the Desert Vipers a year ago had to sting. ¡°You all know why we are here,¡± the Guild Master started the meeting and was immediately interrupted. Amarum scoffed. ¡°Are you going to explain to me why my team was pulled off of our current job to stake out a random inn?¡±


    The Guild Master remained calm at the Guild Elder¡¯s rude tone. ¡°Yes, that is what this meeting is about. As you all know, the Desert Vipers have been on the decline for the past few months. Our dear City Lord has increased the spendings on the city and noble guard. Fewer and fewer nobles are bothering to hire us when they can simply remove their problems with the help of their own guards. With this, our main income source has gone down the drain.¡±


    None of the assassins reacted to this information. Contracts from nobles were the most lucrative deals. Most commoners didn¡¯t have the funds to make a contract that was worth it for such a large guild. All three listeners already knew this and didn¡¯t let their emotions show. In Lilith¡¯s case, she simply didn¡¯t care about the fate of the guild.


    ¡°I will be honest with you. I have been thinking of downgrading our entire operation.¡± A savage grin briefly crossed his face. ¡°However, a couple of days ago someone approached me with an unusual assignment. One that has the potential to solve all our problems.¡±


    Lilith made sure to hide her excitement. Finally she would get some answers. This had to be about Vindict and the mysterious contract on him.


    ¡°What¡¯s so unusual about this assignment?¡± Amarum asked to fill the silence. ¡°Yesterday you only gave me a face and the name of the inn where I could find the target.¡± Wane shook his head. ¡°I also told you to only observe the target.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to do but the target wasn¡¯t there. I even nicely asked that stuck up whore Ophira. She guaranteed me that the guy wasn¡¯t there.¡± Lilith snickered, which caused Amarum to turn in her direction and glare. ¡°Is there something funny?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not,¡± Lilith answered while not doing anything to hide her laughter. ¡°It¡¯s just, you asking nicely for anything is hilarious.¡± It was also hilarious how Amarum had lied to the Guild Master¡¯s face. At least one member of his team had to have seen Vindict enter the inn. Of course, admitting that to the Guild Master would show what a colossal failure as an assassin he was.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not be tear out each others throats,¡± the Guild Master admonished. ¡°There is a simple reason why this job is special. Instead of killing the target we need to capture him.¡±


    Surprisingly, it was Amarum who voiced the first complain. ¡°We are assassins, not kidnappers,¡± he stated while frowning. Lyn continued to be quiet but nodded along to her fellow Guild Elder¡¯s words.


    But the Guild Master wasn¡¯t done. ¡°Our target is also a monster.¡± Both of the Guild Elder¡¯s looked uncomfortable. Monsters always brought complications. ¡°This won¡¯t end well,¡± Amarum stated. Lyn, on the other hand, was more pragmatic. ¡°How much does the job pay?¡±


    Guild Master Wane smiled in satisfaction. ¡°More than enough. This job will single-handedly pay for all our expenses for at least a year.¡± Lyn whistled appreciatively and even Amarum was stunned. Lilith was sure that her bandages hid most of her reaction, which was good, because her frown wouldn¡¯t be easy to ignore.


    She had known that this job was somewhat important, but never would she have guessed how much. This motivation would make hiding Vindict significantly harder.


    ¡°Do you know who made the request? It must be a noble, right?¡± Lilith asked in the most casual way she could manage. To make good of a bad situation maybe she would gain more information. She just had to avoid suspicion.


    Luckily, Wane seemed to be too occupied with the money than any potential betrayal. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the buyer won¡¯t risk betraying us. After all, I doubt that they would like us ratting them out to the Creator¡¯s Church.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t value information, so Lilith pushed further. ¡°Who is it? It would be safer if all four of us knew it.¡± Wane waved her concerns away. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing. Anyway, I have created a system that lets us cover as much ground as possible with maximum proficiency. All members are to participate. We won¡¯t rest until our target has been captured. Understood?¡±


    All three of them nodded. The prospect of money had wiped away all concerns. ¡°Anything else we should know about this case?¡± Lyn asked. The Guild Master nodded his head. ¡°Yes, the target seems to be accompanied by another person. The buyer doesn¡¯t care what we do with them. Let us avoid complications and just kill them.¡±


    When the Guild Master saw everyone nod he clapped his hands together and smiled. ¡°Great! You are dismissed. The sketches are in the prep room.¡±


    The Guild Elders were the first to leave, quickly followed by Lilith. But before she could exit the room, Wane called out to her. ¡°You have proven to be one of my most skilled assassins, Lilith. When your cell leader send you to me for disobedience I had expected the worst but you managed to pleasantly surprise me. Keep up the good work and maybe soon you¡¯ll be sitting in my chair. This is the most important assignment that we have ever gotten and it could be the key to reach new heights. Not just for you but for the whole family.¡±


    Lilith almost scoffed at his words. The name ¡®Desert Vipers¡¯ was very fitting since the guild resembled a den of snakes, ready to tear out each others throats. They had nothing in common with a family. She felt no remorse for betraying them.


    Nonetheless, she nodded and quickly left the room. Amarum and Lyn had heard the Guild Master¡¯s words and greeted her with a sneer and an impassive look respectively. Lilith didn¡¯t have the time to care about them. What had at first seemed like an easy task had suddenly turned into a gruelling mess.


    <hr>


    Amarum starred daggers into the back of the snake that had wormed itself into the guild. That wretched girl had joined the guild only one year ago and was already acting like a big shot. Stupid brat thinking she was better than everyone else. Sure, her technique was good but what she lacked was the drive to be an assassin.


    A drive that had made Amarum the second Guild Elder of the Desert Vipers. And this random assassin thought she could just waltz in here and steal his spot?! The worst thing about it was that the Guild Master actually supported that girl, despite her arrogance. Amarum would have bet an eye on the fact that they were sleeping together. How else would she have gained that fools favour?


    He turned to Lyn and nodded at the Guild Master¡¯s closed door. ¡°Can you believe his gall? Saying something like that in front of us.¡± Lyn shrugged and turned away. ¡°Stop obsessing over Lilith. You should rather get your own shit in order.¡± With that she walked away, ignoring Amaru¡¯s grimace. Why were all woman he worked with arrogant bitches?


    He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Now wasn¡¯t the time to think about the unfairness of the world. He had a hunt to plan. But as he walked through the halls of the house he couldn¡¯t stop thinking about her. Lilith had seemed¡­ off today.


    Normally that brat just lazily sat around in meetings but today she had actually seemed interested. Sure, it hadn¡¯t been a normal meeting, but still. It was suspicious. Did she actually care about the well being of the guild?


    Amarum almost had to laugh at that. Of course not. Despite how much the Guild Master preached about being a family, the Desert Vipers were just a group of killers who decided to stick together because it was profitable. No, something else was going on. Something related to this assignment. Better to keep an eye on her.

 Fledgling King of the Mindscape

    Lilith¡¯s accusations left an uneasy feeling behind that lingered even after Pecta had walked a few blocks away. Why couldn¡¯t that assassin keep her nose out of his business? What and why he did what he did was only his concern.


    Speaking of Lilith, Pecta didn¡¯t trust her. On one hand, he believed that Noctus had intervened on their behalf. A Chosen wouldn¡¯t lie about that, and Vindict¡¯s meeting with the god only confirmed this point. Pecta saw no reason why he would have lied about it.


    On the other hand, it was all too convenient. A Chosen appearing out of the woodwork to help them because her god told her to? It was too perfect. It all felt orchestrated. Vindict didn¡¯t seem like someone the gods would be interested in.Sure, his story sounded mysterious, but nothing about it screamed god involvement.


    This, more than anything, solidified the idea that Vindict wasn¡¯t telling him everything. Which had been fine up to this point. Everyone had their secrets and Pecta wouldn¡¯t be the one to pry into them. But now that things were heating up that might change.


    Pecta knew the answer to his predicament. Leave. Leaving Vindict behind would make escaping the city much easier. Nobody could blame him. This mess was far too dangerous for an ordinary man like him. Why should he involve himself in the affairs of the gods? Why should he put his trust in an assassin and a monster? The last time Pecta had trusted someone it had ended horribly. Why take that risk again?


    Pecta shook his head to dispel these thoughts. He had made that mistake once. Listening to the voices. Letting fear stop him from acting. At first he had thought that this was a trial from his goddess. A way to redeem himself. He still believed that but it was slowly dawning on him that it was so much more than that.


    But that wasn¡¯t the only reason he was staying. Vindict had become something more than a random stranger. Perhaps not a friend but a trusted companion. Hardship strengthened bonds and Pecta and he had been through many hardships. This was just another one of them. Pecta wouldn¡¯t betray him.


    Pecta groaned as he strapped the pack to his back. It was filled with enough rations to last him and Vindict a week. All in all, it had cost him a little more than two large knights. There were other things he needed to buy, but they would have to wait until he unloaded his current load at the hideout.


    He turned and headed back. The sun had risen and was now shining down on him in all its glory. If it weren¡¯t for the blessing cowering Seran, he would have died of a heatstroke. Pecta had bought salfar cream but decided to wait before applying it. No need to waste money.


    He dodged a group of guards, frowning at the familiar experience. This was the fourth patrol he had passed today. Were there usually so many? Sure, he had been told that the City Lord had increased security, but this much? The guy must really be paranoid.


    Even though Pecta knew that they weren¡¯t looking for him, he pulled his hood over his head and quickened his pace. Normally this would have been suspicious, but in Seran many people wore hoods to protect themselves from the glare of the sun.


    Another group of guards walked toward him. Instinctively, Pecta¡¯s hands clenched into fists and his heart rate quickened. Bad memories began to surface, but he quickly pushed them aside. They had no reason to stop him. He would just pass them and never see them again.


    His heart almost stopped when a loud voice startled him. ¡°Halt!¡± The lead guard shouted. Pecta briefly considered running but stopped that instinct before it got him into trouble. He had nothing to worry about.


    Instead, he stopped and waited for them to catch up. ¡°Routine inspection. Remove your hood so that we can see your face.¡± Pecta frowned. Routine inspection? He had never heard of such a thing.


    ¡°What do you mean by routine inspection, honoured city guard?¡± Pecta asked. Flattery was always useful. The city guard frowned and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. Not outright hostile, but definitely threatening.


    ¡°Dangerous criminals are on the loose and all members of the city guard have been tasked with finding them. Now, remove your hood or we will be forced to remove it with force,¡± the tall man answered. Pecta complied, sensing that anything else would be too risky. The group of guards was just one hair''s breadth away from drawing their weapons.


    Another man stepped forward and held two pieces of paper next to Pecta¡¯s head. He recognised them as wanted posters. Theoretically he should have nothing to worry about but that did not ease his concerns. Those spread further when the guard didn¡¯t pull them away and frowned instead.


    Pecta was sweating under his cloak, and not just from the heat. Another guard stepped forward and glanced at the posters and the suspect. They muttered something, probably not intended for Pecta to hear.


    ¡°Look, both of them have scars.¡± ¡°Are you an idiot? That one has like two knife scars, while this one looks like he¡¯s been mauled by a herd of wolves.¡± The second guard cursed at his colleague''s incompetence and walked back into formation. He called over his back, ¡°He''s not the swordsman either. Way too young for that.¡± With that, the whole guard patrol moved away in search of a new target.


    Pecta sighed with relief and was about to move on when he caught a glimpse of one of the wanted posters. His blood ran cold. ¡°Honoured guards, who are you looking for? Perhaps I have seen the criminals. One of the guards turned around and glared at Pecta. ¡°Don¡¯t bother us. If you want to see the criminals then look at the wanted board.¡±


    Pecta nodded, but the guards didn¡¯t spare him any more attention. Instead of returning to the hideout, Pecta turned around and headed for the marketplace. He had to be sure.


    <hr>


    Sitting cross-legged I tried to ignore everything around me. The bustle of my copies, the smell of smoke, the roughness of the ground. None of it mattered. I focused all of my attention on my body until I could visualise it. Then I expanded.


    Slowly my attention crept outwards, more and more information coming to me. My eyes were closed but I could SEE everything around me. It was similar to my passive sense but so much more. Everything was more detailed and vibrant. Ready to test this new ability, I focused on a rock behind me. With my attention on it, I willed it to change.


    When I had fled from the not-angel, I had changed the material of the fortress. Back then, I had only affected a small area, but it had still felt like a slog. This was nothing like that. As soon as I willed the rock to change, it did. I opened my eyes and turned around. Where once had been a rock, now stood a miniature copy of the castle. Looking closly I could make out every tiny detail. I even spotted a couple mini stone copies of myself manning the walls.


    Having the role of User was amazing. Slowly, I stood up to admire the difference. The mindscape had gone from an ugly battlefield to a well-organised fortress. My copies didn¡¯t stumble about randomly, they walked with purpose. The walls were as good as new and the carvings shined with a red light. It was almost as if the battle with the parasite, or should I say demon, and Sarvad had never happened.


    ¡°Adam, could you repeat the Protocols that I can use?¡± The first thing I did after my two companions left was to have a chat with Adam. This gave me the chance to learn a lot about the abilities that being a User afforded me.


    ¡°Protocol 2: Calm Mind (active); Protocol 3: Royal Guards (passive); Protocol 4: Fortitude (passive); Protocol 6: Aura of Suppression (passive); Protocol 9: Sense State (active); Protocol 14: Dominion of the Mind (passive); Protocol 15: Chains of Retaliation (passive).¡±


    As it turned out, my fear of boredom had been completely unfounded. There were a LOT of abilities I needed to explore.


    First of all, the Protocols labeled as passive. These were relatively simple as they didn¡¯t require anything from me. As the name implied, they worked passively by utilising the ambient mental essence of the mindscape.


    I was already familiar with Royal Guards and Aura of Suppression. One of them created the guardian copies of me, and the other suppressed the power of other entities within the mindscape.Chains of Suppression wasn¡¯t new either, though its effect was more situational. I didn¡¯t dwell on it too long, as that would mean thinking about Sarvad. Now wasn¡¯t the time to think about that mess.


    The newcomers were Fortitude and Dominion of the Mind. Fortitude simply strengthened my mental castle. Hopefully that meant that the parasite wouldn¡¯t just tear it apart like last time. Dominion of the Mind was by far the most vague. Adam said that it ¡®improved control of the mindscape¡¯. My earlier feat of changing the rock was partially made possible because of this Protocol.


    Active abilities were a completely different beast. I had to activate them manually, and they used mental essence from a reservoir that had been set aside for this purpose. But that wasn¡¯t the crazy part. No, what had me completely flabbergasted was that I could use these abilities in the physical world.


    There were two of them: Calm Mind and Sense State. Calm Mind was a channelling ability that continuously required mental essence while active. Through experimentation, I found that it required 2% to run for one second. When active, it pushed all my worries away, allowing me to completely focus on one task.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    To test it, I attempted to braid two pieces of hay in the same style I had seen some female humans wear their hair. Normally, I would probably have failed countless times before achieving this task. With Calm Mind active, I analysed the problem logically and came up with a solution. Instead of trying to braid with my claw I instead held the straws between two sharp talons and let the human hand do the heavy lifting. It did not take me long to complete the task. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but for my first attempt it was extremely impressive.


    Sense State, on the other hand, was an ability that always cost 10% to activate. Adam told me that it analysed the target''s emotions by reading their body language. Unfortunately, I had no target to test it on, as I was currently alone. Using it on a copy of myself yielded nothing, probably because they weren¡¯t real beings.


    ¡°Hey Adam, why is it that I still don¡¯t have access to some Protocols? There should be at least 15 but you only showed 7.¡±


    ¡°Mental essence for activation not available.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Mental essence needed for other tasks. Completion of tasks necessary for further choices.¡±


    I sighed. Sarvad had said that Adam had gone to ¡®sleep¡¯ and only recently been awakened. Could it be that parts of them were still ¡®asleep¡¯? And Adam had to allocated a certain amount of mental essence to awaken these parts?¡±


    ¡°How can I help? What are these tasks?¡± If I could help them that would be great. It was only because of Adam that I was still in control of my body. Whatever it was, they would get my help.


    ¡°Essence intensive tasks include protection from Enemy and containment of Former User.¡±


    I cringed. Those¡­ were some pretty big problems. Best to tackle them one by one, starting with the demon.


    I concentrated on the mindscape and suddenly appeared on top of the wall surrounding the castle. Another useful trick made possible by Dominion of the Mind. My copies didn¡¯t react to my appearance and just continued patrolling the walls. Smiling, I turned and beheld what was outside the castle. What greeted me was less than comforting.


    A lifeless wasteland stretched beyond the walls. It went on for hundreds of steps before ending abruptly at the foot of another wall. But this was no ordinary wall. It was made entirely out of dark smoke that rose into the red sky. The smoke was not motionless, instead writhing and bubbling, like a beast that couldn¡¯t wait to pounce on any unsuspecting victim. Winged shadows seemed to move within it and I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was watching me.


    With a shudder I turned away. This wasn¡¯t the first time I had seen that smoke. I vividly remembered the first dream I had in the desert. Dream probably wasn¡¯t the right word. Encounter was more accurate.


    My enthusiasm for solving the problem suddenly waned. There was no way in hell I was going to approach that wall. That would be dumb. I had no idea what lurked behind and getting closer could be a death sentence. Instead, I tried to use my new control of the mindscape to make the smoke disappeared.


    A howl echoed from the smoke and I could see it begin to move. The demon''s will was fighting me, but this time I had the advantage. With each passing second, the smoke receded. This was it. There was no way-


    ¡°Warning. Essence reserves are low.¡±


    The surprise caused me to lose focus, which was all the demon needed. With a triumphant howl, the smoke slammed back to where it had started. I was about to scold Adam for interrupting me, but then I noticed my mental essence. It was at 15% and only rising slowly. This small struggle had almost completely drained me.


    I glared into the smoke. There was nothing I could do for now. My control over the mindscape was stronger than the demon¡¯s but I simply had too little mental essence. Now wasn¡¯t the time to provoke it. What if the demon decided to attack again? Sure, since the battle with Sarvad it had been pretty quiet but that could change.


    I teleported back to the courtyard. Now wasn¡¯t the time to think dark thoughts but to try new things. Focusing, I could sense my essence reservoir. It had shrunk from my teleportations, but not enough to be worrying.


    ¡°It seems that I currently can¡¯t help you with the demon problem,¡± I directed at Adam. ¡°What was the other problem you mentioned?¡±


    ¡°Containment of Former User.¡±


    I cringed at Adam¡¯s words. Sarvad. I already knew that my former companion was alive, but to have to deal with him was something else entirely. My feelings towards Sarvad were, like many things, complicated. Did I hate him? He had betrayed me and tried to take over my body. His final moments flashed before my eyes. No, I did not hate him. I pitied him. Whatever had happened to Sarvad had left him as a prisoner inside his former body and drove him to the brink of insanity. ¡°Can I see him?¡± I asked tentatively.


    ¡°Positive.¡±


    Usually that would have been it, but this time Adam had something to add.


    ¡°This course is not advisable. Former User is unstable and poses a potential threat to the User.¡±


    ¡°A lethal threat?¡±


    ¡°Negative.¡±


    ¡°Then yes, I would like to see him.¡± I could feel the fortress rearranging itself. With a steadying breath I prepared myself to enter. I trusted Adam when he said that Sarvad was a threat to me, but I couldn¡¯t just let him rot away. I didn¡¯t know what had happened to him but it all seemed so¡­ unfair.


    The gods, or whoever else controlled the world, had dealt him a bad hand, to use one of Pecta¡¯s sayings. And whether I liked it or not, I was one of the reasons for it. Talking to him was the least I could do. A selfish part of me also wanted to use this opportunity to dig for more information about my origins. With one last look around, I teleported into the fortress.


    What awaited me was very familiar. It was a white room, the same one I had seen in countless memories. A set of glowing stones on the ceiling bathed the cell in a blinding light.


    On a small bed opposed to me sat Sarvad. His eyes had been closed when I appeared, but now they were open. He slowly rose to meet me at eye level, the chains around his limbs and neck rattling. They were attached to the wall, severely limiting his movement.


    ¡°So the body stealer decided to show his face. What a pleasant surprise.¡± He laughed mirthlessly and took a step forward. The chains stretched taunt. ¡°What are you here for? To laugh at my misfortune? Trapped by my own creation, how pitiful.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not here to laugh,¡± I replied seriously, also taking a step forward. ¡°I am here to say that I¡¯m sorry for what happened. I only understand bits and pieces but from what I''ve been able to piece together, your life hasn¡¯t been that great.¡±


    My words had a profound effect on Sarvad, as he became completely still and stared at me. I was starting to hope that I could get through to him but then his face contorted into a grimace of anger.


    ¡°You are SORRY for what happened?! How can you dare to utter those words, when you¡¯re the whole reason for my misery! They promised me that the pain would end, that there would be a bright shining future at the end of the tunnel. But look at me now, powerless to escape this cursed mind.¡±


    The look of sadness had completely faded, replaced by an ocean of rage and hatred. Now I could see the gleam of madness in his eyes, the same as during our battle. My pity for him only increased as Sarvad continued his hateful ramblings.


    ¡°I want to help you,¡± I interrupted his rant about all the things I should do to myself. ¡°Just tell me how all this happened. Who is the horned woman? Help me, so that I can help you.¡± My heartfelt pleas only seemed to increase his anger.


    ¡°You want to help me!? I gave you that chance! You had the honour of being my poetic instrument of revenge but you squandered it on useless frolicking!¡±


    ¡°You gave me no clue as to what I was supposed to do. My desire to help would be greater if you EXPLAINED things to me. The short time I''ve been alive has already been filled with so much hardship, and you haven''t made things any easier.¡±


    Sarvad¡¯s harsh laughter filled the room. ¡°Hardship?! HARDSHIP!? You claim that whatever happened to you was difficult? You have no idea what I¡¯ve been through and you dare to say that you have had it rough. Your life has been a walk in the park compared to mine, so stop being so entitled!¡± He retorted spitefully. His hands reached for my neck but the chains barely stopped him from strangling me. It was difficult, but I didn¡¯t back down.


    ¡°Then explain it to me!¡± I commanded. ¡°Show me the reason for your suffering so I can help stop it.¡± This made him stop. A malicious grin spread across his face. ¡°Oh, you want me to show you what happened. With pleasure.¡± Suddenly, an intense burst of mental essence blasted out of him. I could see his muscles rippling and the chains groaned worryingly.


    ¡°WARNING,¡± Adam¡¯s monotone voice filled the room. ¡°Former User is in danger of breaking containment. Immediate evacuation is-¡° That was the moment the chains decided to give way. The last thing I saw was Sarvad¡¯s hand racing towards my face before everything went black.


    <hr>


    When Sarvad reached the marketplace, his eyes were immediately drawn to the gallows. With a sigh of relief, he noted that they had removed the poor sap that had been dangling there. The smell of rotten flesh roasting in the sun was probably the reason for that.


    He quickly approached the notice board that stood at the side of the marketplace. As usual, it was separated into multiple categories, but there was only one that interested him. The wanted board. It was located in the bottom right and contained sketches of all the people wanted by the law. Below them was a description and the reward.


    Seran''s was relatively small, at least compared to others Pecta had seen. No wonder, since there probably weren¡¯t a ton of bounty hunters out in the desert. Pecta scanned the board until he found the two posters he was looking for. His grim expression hid the kernel of desperation that was starting to bloom.


    Even if the face looked 20 years older. Even if the nose was too crooked. It was still his own face staring back at him. Beneath the image stood:


    Unknown Swordsman. Wanted: Dead or Alive. Recently arrived in Seran and accused of robbery. Threat level unknown. Reward for capture or confirmed death: 10 princes.


    Pecta shuddered when he saw the reward. 10 princes was very tempting for anyone. Although, with that kind of picture it would be almost impossible to recognise him. What worried him more was what he was being accused of. It was clearly a lie, but why would someone go through all that trouble? Did one of his many enemies finally want revenge? One look at the other poster dispelled all notions that this was about him. With amazement he starred at the almost lifelike drawing of Vindict¡¯s face. The artist had even gotten all the scars right. He quickly read the description and almost gasped.


    Sarvad. Wanted: Alive. Subject is wanted by noble decree. Recently arrived in Seran with an unknown swordsman. He is believed to have an injury on his left arm. Threat level: High. If seen you are to immediately call the city guard. Reward: 1 king.


    Pecta just stood there in shock before quickly turning around and scurrying away. He felt eyes digging into his back, but refused to look back. Another group of guards passed him. What kind of mess had Vindict gotten him into? Noble decree meant that this wasn¡¯t just some random bounty, but one issued by a noble. Someone with money and power.


    Most nobles wouldn¡¯t care about one king. But for anyone else that amount of money would be life-changing. If Pecta had that much, most of his troubles would simply disappear. Enough money to leave his old life behind and start a new one. ¡®Enough for you to betray Vindict?¡¯ A nasty voice in his head asked.


    He shivered but kept walking. It was a dark thought, one that was sadly very enticing¡­ No. It wasn¡¯t enticing. It was just another cheap attempt to run from his sins. He took a steadying breath and placed a hand inside his cloak. It closed around the small amulet hidden inside.


    The necklace was just a collection of wooden pearls on a string, with two intertwined rings at the centre. He had bought it for 5 knights from some beggar and it had accompanied him ever since. The rings were a symbol of Persa, a constant reminder of his need for atonement. He wouldn¡¯t break his tenants because of simple greed. This belief guided him through the rapidly filling streets and let him ignore the dark laughter inside his head.

 Memories of the Beginning

    The wind fluttered as the hero faced the demon. ¡°This is your end, demon scum!¡± He shouted, clutching his blade. The demon laughed uproariously as it presented its claws. ¡°Bring it on, ¡®hero¡¯. Let¡¯s see how long you can last.¡± Both of them let out a battle cry and charged.


    The two wooden figures clashed and twirled around each other, like mighty warriors engaged in a heated fight. My mind conjured up a fantastic battle between good and evil. On my left side was Sir Lightsword, fighting for the good of the people, against the dastardly demon Evilus, who had come to take away all that was good in the world. Both warriors fought ferociously, using their divine and demonic powers to outdo each other.


    Suddenly, something hit me from behind, knocking me to the ground. Both figures flew out of my hands and landed somewhere in the tall grass. I turned around and glared at the person responsible. The older boy had already picked himself up and was walking back to his group of friends, who were doing absolutely nothing to hold in their laughter.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time something like this had happened, and I debated whether to confront them about it. But, as always, I decided it wasn¡¯t worth it. Escalating the situation would only result in a few more bruises and broken bones.


    Sure, the caregivers would step in if anything too drastic happened, but their definition of drastic was fairly loose. After all, they said, fighting built character.


    Not too long ago, a fight had broken out in the yard. I didn¡¯t remember what it was about, but it must have been about something trivial. Anyway, the fight resulted in a girl breaking both her legs and an arm before the caregivers ended it. The girl''s name was another thing I couldn¡¯t remember. I had probably never learned it in the first place.


    My thoughts were interrupted, not by a sound, but by the lack of one. A silence had fallen over all the children in the courtyard. They were all starring at the two people who had entered.


    One of them was a caregiver, which was strange in itself. Free time had only just started, which meant that the caregivers shouldn¡¯t have had any reason to interact with us.


    Even stranger was the person walking next to her. She was wearing a plain white robe that covered most of her body. Only her head was visible, showcased her sharp features and green eyes. What differentiated her from everyone else were the two curled horns rising up from her head. We had learnt about non-humans, but this was the first time I had seen one.


    Even though her height was extended by the horns, the caregiver made her look like a flower next to a massive tree. The woman was two heads shorter than the caregiver, which wasn¡¯t unexpected given their hulking size.


    She also didn¡¯t look combat ready, lacking any sort of weapon. Most adults had some kind of visible weapon to show off their specialty. Granted, they rarely had to use them but it was considered a status symbol to carry a weapon.


    Our teachers had told us that when we grew up, we would get our very own weapons. Most of the other children had been excited by the prospect. Not me. I had no interest in fighting. I would much rather spend my time making up cool stories. Unfortunately, this was not allowed, and the caregivers had repeatedly punished me for slacking off.


    The caregiver looked sternly around the courtyard. ¡°Stop staring and get back to whatever you do in your spare time!¡± She shouted. ¡°You have 15 minutes remaining.¡± All the other children obeyed her command, while occasionally sneaking glances at the odd pair. I was about to go back to playing when I noticed them heading in my direction. I gulped. Had I done something wrong? Were they here to punish me? I was still debating whether to continue playing or to face them when they arrived.


    ¡°Candidate Sarvad!¡± I flinched at the caregivers rough voice and gave her a sloppy salute. Normally this would have drawn an immediate retort, but instead she just stayed back and glared at the other women with her arms crossed. ¡°This is the boy.¡±


    Instead of answering, the woman stepped forward and began to inspect me. A bead of sweat ran down my forehead, but I tried my best to stay still as she circled me. I''d caught a glimpse of her eyes and what I had seen wasn¡¯t nice. Those green eyes had felt¡­ cold. Not lifeless or cruel, like some of the other adults I had seen, but uncaring and calculating.


    ¡°Show your arm.¡± Her voice broke me from my thoughts. It was as icy as her eyes. I glanced at the caregiver, but she just nodded her head. Reluctantly, I complied and held my arm out in front of me.


    Seeing the giant needle in her hand almost made me regret my decision. Before I could object, she plunged it into my arm. The pain wasn¡¯t too bad, but the runes that suddenly started glowing on it almost made me flinch. I managed to stop myself and watched as the needle began to draw blood, filling a small vial to which it was attached.


    After a couple of seconds, the woman removed the needle. I expected for the wound to start bleeding, but it immediately closed, not leaving a single drop of blood behind. I was still marvelling at my clean arm when the woman took out another needle and commanded me to show my other arm.


    This process was repeated two more times and by the end I was feeling dizzy. At this point another caretaker arrived and called for the beginning of classes. The other children formed an orderly line and marched into the building. Some of them cast curious glances. I looked back, for once in my lifetime excited for class.


    The woman seemed to have collected enough of my blood and had retreated a couple of steps to examine it. This was done with an array of tools that I had never seen before. It took a long time before she was satisfied and stepped back to the caregiver.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°The test have returned satisfactory. Your payment for the subjects will be delivered shortly.¡± The caregiver didn¡¯t hide her disgust from the woman. ¡°You people are a plague upon our world.¡± Instead of being offended the woman simply laughed. ¡°Who is worse, the storm that destroys the village or the monsters that prey on the afterwards defenceless villagers? Remember, half of the stuff you use to strengthen these children was developed by us.¡±


    The caregiver gripped her sword but instead of attacking she turned to me. I was shocked by the sad smile on her face. Caregivers usually weren¡¯t much for emotions. She crouched down so she was face-to-face with me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, child.¡± I could only nod mutely as a tear rolled down her cheek.


    ¡°You now have a new home.¡± This brought me out of my trance. ¡°Why am I leaving? Did I do something wrong?¡± The caregiver shook her head. ¡°No child, it¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s ours.¡± She stood and turned to the woman, who was tapping her foot impatiently. ¡°You got what you came here for. Now leave before I make you.¡±


    The woman rolled her eyes and motioned for me to follow. Uncertain, I looked at the caregiver, but she had already turned away. Not knowing what else to do, I followed the unknown woman. The caregiver''s words only now began to sink in. I was leaving.


    A hole started to form in my stomach. Sure, I hadn¡¯t really liked this place, but it was all that I knew. What would it be like to live somewhere else? Would it be better? Worse? I looked at the woman, but she was staring straight ahead. I shivered.


    Gasping, I stumbled back from Sarvad. What had just happened? Those visions had been me but also somehow not? I tried to vomit but my essence form didn¡¯t have a stomach. Sarvad was slumped against the wall, more chains having seemingly shot out of it to drag him back.


    He lifted his head weakly, and I could see that the fire hadn¡¯t left his eyes. But now it was directed at someone else. I could barely make out his next words. ¡°Find her¡­ and kill her. Kill them all for what they did to me and the others. They must face the consequences.¡±


    Suddenly, the room around me changed and I was thrown back into my real body.


    ¡°Essence reserves at 2%. Removing User from mindscape.¡±


    I groaned and sank to the floor. The pain wasn¡¯t the worst I''d ever experienced, but it was definitely in the top three. Luckily, it faded quickly, giving me enough space to think about what had just happened.


    Those had been memories. Not mine, but Sarvad''s. And pretty old ones, considering the small height of that Sarvad. Some details of the vision were already starting to get muddy, but one thing remained: the horned woman. The same woman I had seen in the noble carriage, looking as if she hadn¡¯t aged a single day.


    But what truly made me shiver was the hatred. Sarvad¡¯s hatred for her that emanated from him in waves. That wasn¡¯t something I was about to forget. This woman was the reason for his insanity.


    The pain had eased, but now my anger began to rear its head. I knew that the horned woman was probably part of some kind of organisation, but otherwise I knew nothing. My lack of information was frustrating. But how could I get more? I would have to discuss that with my two companions when they returned.


    Moving on, the woman had also said something about ¡®payment for the subjects¡¯. What were the subjects that that woman had bought? Were they¡­ I shivered in revulsion. I hated the idea of buying someone else¡¯s life. A life was something so precious that I couldn¡¯t imagine anyone selling it for those metal disks humans used. There were millions of them, whereas a life was unique to each person. Nobody in their right mind would sell their life.


    Unless¡­ it wasn¡¯t their own life they were selling. I wretched but my stomach was too empty to throw up. The very thought of it was disturbing, but the memories were clear. Sarvad hadn''t known it then, but those ''caregivers'' had sold his life.


    I was tempted to activate Calm Mind, but my mental reserves were still low.


    Instead, I tried to push away the ramifications of what I had just learned. It didn¡¯t work. The woman had bought Sarvad. For what reason? I didn¡¯t know, but it certainly wasn¡¯t good, considering the mental state I''d last seen him in.


    The same woman who was hunting for me. What did she want? I slammed my fist against the table, almost breaking it in the process. Too much information was missing. If I was ever going to get anywhere, I had to find out who she was and what she wanted from me. Hopefully without going mad like Sarvad had.


    <hr>


    A knock at the door woke Guild Master Wane from his brooding. ¡°Come in,¡± he called, hiding the anger in his voice. The door opened and in walked Mr. Entar. Without prompting, the man took a seat and frowned at Wane. ¡°I assume you didn¡¯t call me here because you''ve captured the target. Make it quick, I¡¯m a busy man.¡±


    Wane flashed him a strained smile. ¡°Of course, Mr. Entar.¡± Entar wasn¡¯t the man¡¯s real name. Yet it was the only real information the Guild Master had about him. Judging by his appearance, you wouldn¡¯t expect him to be anything special. His clothes were plain, and the only thing that distinguished him was the blade at his waist.


    No, what made him special was that he was the Desert Viper¡¯s only link to the mysterious contractor who promised to make them rich. And having received some of their gifts, Wane was eager to serve. Though there was one problem¡­


    ¡°This won¡¯t take long,¡± Wane assured him. ¡°I just wanted to talk about the current mission.¡± Entar raised an eyebrow. ¡°What is there to talk about? This mission will either make you rich or end our cooperation. We have made ourselves clear.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know that,¡± Wane replied. ¡°But you see, I like to go for walks. And on my last walk I noticed something. Would you mind explaining this to me?¡± Calmly, the Guild Master took out the wanted poster and placed it on the desk. Entar glanced at it before looking back up. ¡°What of it?¡±


    Wane slammed his fists against the desk. ¡°This wasn¡¯t the deal! You said that this was OUR task. Then why is the city guard searching for the same person?!¡± The Guild Master leaned forward to loom over his business partner. ¡°I swear to the gods, if this is an attempt to scam us, I¡¯ll-¡°


    ¡°You what?¡± Entar interrupted calmly. ¡°What will your little assassin guild do?¡±


    Wane growled. ¡°You don¡¯t understand who you are messing with.¡±


    At that Entar chuckled. ¡°Believe me, we know more than you¡¯ll ever know. We know the deepest, darkest secret of every nation. We stand in defiance of the gods and yet you think that you can threaten us?¡± The man scoffed. ¡°You claim to know, but you¡¯re just as ignorant as everyone else. And you are wasting my time.


    He stood up and turned around. Wane clenched his fists in frustration. The urge to strike him was strong, but the Guild Master held himself back. ¡°At least explain why you didn¡¯t leave the job to us,¡± he called out.


    Without turning Entar answered. ¡°Your first strike failed. The perfect opportunity to quickly finish this slipped through your hands. My boss then realised that this matter was too important to be left in the hands of bumbling idiots. Be grateful that you still get the chance to complete the mission.¡± Wane could hear his smile despite only seeing the man''s back. ¡°Think of this as a race. If you capture the target first, all your wildest dreams will come true. If the city guard catches him, well, you know the answer.¡±


    The door closed behind him, leaving behind a Guild Master who was just ready to explode. Never in his life had he been so disrespected. Worse still, there was nothing he could do about it. Wane had his suspicions about who Entar was working for and if he was right, he should do everything in his power to finish the job quickly.

 Character Assessment by a Killer

    Since there was nothing I could do until my companions returned, I found other ways to keep busy. Mostly by talking to Adam, who unfortunately wasn¡¯t much of a conversationalist. However, they were an exceptional listener. Recounting my experiences was¡­ therapeutic. Just talking and venting my frustration at the unfairness of it all felt good.


    I was in the middle of recounting the bandit fight when the entrance to the hideout suddenly opened, making me almost jump out of my skin. Lilith couldn¡¯t hide her smirk as she entered. ¡°Why so jumpy? You only have one assassin guild hunting you.¡± She shook her head in sadness. ¡°And here I thought that our big bad non-human was made of tougher stuff.¡±


    I was confused by her words. Why would she think I was big or bad? She was only slightly smaller than me, and I certainly wasn¡¯t bad. Then I remembered one of my new abilities. I used Sense State to reveal her amusement and chuckled with her. With a pat on my shoulder, she sank into the other chair and began to study me.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked after it started to get uncomfortable. Lilith sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t figure you out. Everything surrounding you is strange and much of it doesn¡¯t make sense. At that, I shrugged apologetically. ¡°I told you everything I know, but even I can¡¯t piece it all together.¡±


    The assassin frowned at the lack of answers. Her frown quickly turned into a smile as she got an idea. ¡°How about a game?¡± She asked eagerly. The shift in topic was sudden, but I was still intrigued. I motioned for her to continue.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. We will take turns asking each other questions. If one person doesn¡¯t want to answer a question, another one has to be chosen. Sound good?¡± That was indeed a simple game, but I considered it. There were some questions I didn¡¯t want to answer but that wasn¡¯t a problem as I could just pass. Besides, there were a slew of things I wanted to ask her.


    Lilith clasped her hands together and smiled after I agreed. ¡°Great! Since this is your first time playing you can ask the first question.¡± There were several things I was curious about so I started with the first one that came to mind. ¡°When I was at the altar of your god there were three different figurines on it. What do they mean?¡±


    This was a question that was very much to Lilith¡¯s liking. ¡°Ah, Noctus, God of Shadows. Did you know that he is also the god of woodcarving? It¡¯s interesting that you ask even if your situation is¡­ let''s say special. Most people don¡¯t really care about him and instead flock to one of those golden dicks from the Pantheon of Order. Persa excluded. There aren¡¯t many who take her as their patron.¡±


    I remembered that Persa was the goddess of forgiveness and Pecta¡¯s patron. Maybe he would answer my questions about her later. ¡°Anyway,¡± Lilith continued. ¡°The three statues represent the forms of Noctus: The Deceiver, The Merchant, and The Unknown. They embody all his major aspects. Now it¡¯s my turn.¡±


    She thought for a second before finding something. ¡°What do you think of Pecta? You told me how you two met, but I would like to know what you think of him.¡±


    The question caught me off guard. ¡®What I think of him?¡¯ It was a simple yet difficult question. ¡°Well,¡± I started. ¡°He was the first person I interacted with after my awakening. At the time, I was desperate for any kind of social connection. Even if he had turned out to be a bad person, I probably would have still enjoyed talking to him. But he wasn¡¯t a bad person.¡±


    I thought about how to properly phrase my thoughts. ¡°He is ruthless. When we attacked the bandit camp, he had no remorse about killing them. He is also very good at hating. If you spend more time with him, be prepared to hear some rants about nobles.¡±


    I paused. ¡°But he is also the most caring person I have ever met. That probably doesn¡¯t mean much considering my lack of social interactions. Still, there have been countless times when he could have abandoned me and he didn¡¯t. Countless times when it would have been easier to just leave me. But he never did. You don¡¯t know this, but I have experienced betrayal before. It wasn¡¯t a nice feeling and I am afraid that it will happen again. But with Pecta I am not afraid of it happening. He has a lot going on, but I know that he won¡¯t betray me.¡±


    It took me a while to compose myself. That had been way more personal than I intended. I just wanted to say that he was a good person, but it had unintentionally spiraled out into this grand speech. Part of that was Lilith¡¯s fault. She was a good listener, almost as good as Adam. Her bandaged face didn¡¯t reveal any emotions, but it felt like she truly understood. She didn¡¯t interrupt, she just listened.


    Lilith cleared her throat. Even she hadn¡¯t expected my answer to be this deep. To stop the awkwardness, I hurried us along. ¡°Let¡¯s continue with the game. My turn now. When I met Noctus we were in some kind of jungle. Do you know what that place is? Everything there felt so strange.¡± Lilith took a moment to think before answering. ¡°I¡¯m a Chosen, but even I don¡¯t know everything. All I know for sure is that it''s called the Fallen Forest. That is Noctus'' domain, a world completely under his control. I assume all gods have a domain, but can¡¯t confirm it.¡± She looked slightly uncomfortable. ¡°It is also the place where Chosen of Noctus get tested before receiving his blessing.¡±


    That was interesting. I nodded and motioned for her to continue. It was her turn to ask a question.


    ¡°What are your plans? You want to leave Seran, but then what? It doesn''t matter if you used to be a human, now you''re not, and non-humans aren''t welcome in Sanktrum.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± What did I want to do? Hell, what could I do? I knew so little about the world and yet the few things I did know weren¡¯t pretty. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to answer, that¡¯s fine,¡± Lilith offered, seeing my discomfort. ¡°I can just ask another-¡°


    ¡°It''s fine,¡± I interrupted. Taking a deep breath, I confessed. ¡°To be honest, I haven¡¯t thought about it. All this time I have just been going with whatever was thrown at me. Do you understand what I mean?¡±


    At Lilith¡¯s earnest nod I continued. ¡°On one hand, I want to explore the world, meet its people, and see interesting things. However, I have almost died several times in a short period of time. Despite life''s many shortcomings, I think it''s a thousand times better than whatever awaits us after death.¡± Every time I thought of the darkness from which I had come, shivers overtook me.


    ¡°Are there even places where I can live in peace? Without someone hunting me.¡± Lilith thought about it. ¡°There are places that are more hospitable to non-humans. The Empire accepts them as citizens, though I have heard that there is a lot of discrimination. There is also Zalfanum, a nation almost entirely made up of non-humans.¡± Lilith cringed. ¡°Now probably isn¡¯t the greatest time to move there. Wouldn¡¯t surprise me if another crusade is about to start.¡±


    I wanted to ask more about this Zalfanum nation but realised that now wasn¡¯t the time. Instead, I continued thinking about my long-term goals. ¡°I don¡¯t like all this fighting and violence. If I had the choice, I would never fight again.¡± I sighed. ¡°But that''s not realistic. It doesn¡¯t matter what I want. In the end, that decision isn¡¯t within my reach.¡± I shrugged helplessly. It was infuriating but true. Until I solved all my immediate problems, my life wasn¡¯t my own.


    Lilith sighed and moved her chair next to mine. She didn¡¯t touch me, but her closeness was still comforting. We just sat there for a while before Lilith broke the silence. ¡°Do you know why I like this game?¡± She went on before I could answer. ¡°I like it because it gives you a glimpse into the minds of your fellow players. You can learn a lot by just asking simple questions.¡±


    She stared blankly straight ahead, as if lost in thought. I was about to ask her what she meant by that when she suddenly stood up and turned towards me. The determination in her eyes was downright scary.


    ¡°Do you want to control your fate?¡± She demanded. I could only nod at her intensity. Control was something I desperately lacked. ¡°Then you must learn to fight,¡± she stated. ¡°What? But I don¡¯t like violence,¡± I complained. Violence was something I could very much do without.


    ¡°There will always be people who want to take control of your life,¡± Lilith retorted, not backing down. ¡°To control your destiny, you need to be able to defend yourself. Fortunately, you have a blessed assassin here who is ready to teach you everything there is to know about kicking and stabbing ass.¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Controlling my destiny¡­ hm. It was certainly an appealing idea. I had no delusions about the fact that learning to fight would magically solve all my problems. After all, how do you fight a demon, let alone a god?


    The bandit fight flashed before my eyes. If I''d been stronger, Pecta and I wouldn¡¯t have gotten hurt. And I wouldn¡¯t have been so desperate as to give in to the demon. Knowing how to fight would definitely make my life easier.


    I appraised Lilith. She certainly didn¡¯t look like a fighter. All the bandits had been bigger than me and I had still overpowered them. In comparison, she looked like a stick. Maybe she could show me some interesting tricks but I would have to be careful not to hurt her. ¡°I¡¯m in.¡±


    With a gasp, I landed on my ass for what felt like the millionth time. ¡°Again,¡± the ruthless voice of the assassin called out. With difficulty I managed to get back into a position that vaguely resembled a fighting stance.


    ¡°Bend your knees more. You need to be able to react to whatever your opponent throws at you,¡± Lilith lectured me. I weakly glared at the human, whom I had begun to consider more of a demon than the actual one in my mind.


    We had moved all the furniture out of the way before starting the training. ¡®Training¡¯ was a very vague word, considering that for roughly two hours Lilith had been beating me up while dropping hints about what I needed to do to not get beat up.


    At first, I had been pretty confident, thinking that my superior strength would make this easy. When she said that we wouldn¡¯t be using weapons, my confidence had soared even higher.


    It was almost hilarious how wrong I had been. While yes, I was physically stronger than her, that didn''t really matter because I couldn¡¯t get my hands on her. Somehow she always avoided all my attacks and managed to get close to deliver a counterattack.


    Luckily, or unluckily, I could take a lot more punishment than the average human. When Lilith noticed this, she stopped holding back.


    That¡¯s how I found out that Chosen could pack quite a punch. Even when I pitted my strength against Lilith¡¯s, I was only slightly stronger. Gaining a blessing apparently strengthened the body to superhuman levels. What worried me even more was that my opponent was only a Blessed, the weakest of all the Chosen. I couldn¡¯t imagine the strength of a Chosen higher up in the hierarchy. This cemented my opinion of never messing with someone who was chosen by a god.


    What I found even more fascinating was how Lilith used her blessing. It was designed for stealth, allowing her to blend into the shadows more easily, but by briefly activating and deactivating it, she was able to disorient me.


    Despite all this, I wasn¡¯t getting frustrated. The fight didn¡¯t feel unfair like the sandworm attack, but rather like a puzzle that was just waiting for me to figure it out. And I was getting closer. With a nod, I motioned for her to begin.


    She began by circling me, a risky move in such a tight space. It was very tempting to lunge at her, but I resisted. I had learned the hard way that this left me wide open for a counterattack.


    Instead of making the first move, I stayed calm and watched her movement. Lilith tried to scare me with a couple of faints but I refused to fall for them. Then she added her blessing to the mix. Whenever she activated it, my gaze became unfocused and it became harder to keep track of her.


    But I had grown accustomed to her fighting style. I had found that by concentrating, I could see small wisps of energy emanating from her whenever she used it. After consulting with Adam, I concluded that this was divine essence.


    But how was I able to sense it? When I asked Lilith she just stared at me. To her knowledge, only very skilled Chosen could sense divine essence. She had theorised that my meeting with Noctus could have something to do with it. Another answer might be the influence of the demon, but I didn¡¯t mention that.


    I almost missed the moment Lilith went on the attack. After using her blessing, she ducked forward and tried to kick me in the side. I barely managed to dodge and went to grab her, but she spun away before I got a hold on her. Not wanting to waste my momentum, I tried to hit my opponent with my human hand, while being ready to defend with my claw.


    What I hadn¡¯t expected was for her to grab my hand and use my movement to throw me over her shoulder. I landed on my back with a grunt, bracing for the impending blow that never came. Instead Lilith moved aside and offered me her hand. With a grateful nod, I took it and got to my feet. That had been intense.


    Slow clapping resounded from the entrance as Pecta entered the hideout. ¡°That was impressive, Vindict. When we fought in the desert, you only used brute force, but this had style to it.¡± It was rare for Pecta to offer compliments and I could feel a seed of satisfaction blooming in my chest.


    Lilith just grinned and stretched her arms. ¡°Aw, where is my compliment? I think I did pretty good.¡± I frowned and nodded. She definitely deserved praise. At Pecta¡¯s huff, I grew confused and used Sense State on both of my companions. It revealed Pecta¡¯s annoyance and Lilith¡¯s mirth.


    Lilith chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know I¡¯m great. Anyway, interested in gaining some hands-on experience?¡± She cracked her neck. ¡°I¡¯m feeling gracious after this warm-up.¡±


    Pecta shook his head. Even though he was still annoyed, I could see a small smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯m not looking to meet an early grave.¡± The smile vanished and he became serious again. ¡°We need to talk about our next move.¡±


    We moved the furniture back into place and formed a circle, so that Pecta could relay his discovery. When he came to the wanted poster, I gasped. Even Lilith looked surprised. ¡°That can¡¯t be,¡± she muttered. ¡°Why would someone hire an assassin guild and somehow get the city guard on your tail?¡± Pecta shrugged. ¡°Whoever it is, they definitely are a noble or have a connection to a noble. The bounties were by noble decree.¡±


    We all thought about this before Pecta piped back in. ¡°What I find strange is that the bounty wasn¡¯t for someone named Vindict. Sure, it was you on the picture, but the name of the person was listed as ¡®Sarvad¡¯. Any idea why?¡±


    I nodded. This only further confirmed the fact that the horned woman was searching for me. ¡°I think Sarvad was my former name. Before they experimented on me and I lost my memories.¡±


    After this, the conversation stalled as we all stewed on our thoughts. Leaving Seran had just become much more difficult. Our only hope had been the caravans but that was a no-go. Security would be too strict to join one unnoticed. Well, at least for me.


    ¡°From what you said Pecta, it would be basically impossible to match you to your wanted poster, right?¡± I waited for his confirmation before starting to say something that I really hoped I wouldn¡¯t regret. ¡°Has it ever crossed your mind that you can just¡­ leave? Nothing is tying you to me, and by helping me you are just risking your life. I won¡¯t hold it against you if you decide that you have had enough. You have already helped me enough to clear up any imaginary debt owed to me.¡±


    I avoided his eyes. Despite what I had just said, I wanted him to stay. Not just because he was extremely helpful. His company felt¡­ good. I enjoyed being with him and didn¡¯t want it to end. But not saying the obvious felt selfish, especially now that things were getting more dangerous and he had no incentive to stick around.


    I glanced at Pecta and he seemed to be deep in thought. ¡°It would be a lie if I said I had never thought about leaving. Turning my back on a path filled with danger sounds very tempting,¡± he stated. My hope plummeted, but he continued. ¡°But then I thought about what I would be returning to. My life before meeting you wasn¡¯t horrible. Not good, but I got by doing various guard jobs. There wasn¡¯t anything else I could do, considering that my only skill is fighting. Of course, many people would welcome any fighter with open arms. However, those jobs are often on the more unsavoury side of the law and morality in general.¡±


    Those words weren¡¯t meant specifically for Lilith but there was a connection nonetheless. She didn¡¯t interrupt, although Sense State told me that she wasn¡¯t too thrilled. ¡°The army wasn¡¯t a place I wanted to go either. Too much death for me.¡± He chuckled darkly. ¡°Despite what you saw in the desert, Vindict, I am very much against violence. Already seen too much of it. Being a guard was the only real job that required me to be able to fight, but with a low chance of it happening. Guards do most of their work by simply being intimidating.


    Pecta paused to consider what he was going to say next. ¡°My life was¡­ dull. I lived from one day to the next with no real goal to achieve. I am a follower of Persa, but I wasn¡¯t doing anything to justify it. But since I met you, this has changed. I feel like I am finally doing something good by helping someone. And frankly, I enjoy your company.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to express my overwhelming gratitude to Pecta. My vision was becoming blurry and I wiped away some strange liquid coming from my eyes. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Lilith slowly began to clap. ¡°That was incredibly sweet. Almost brought me to tears.¡± She wiped at her eyes, though I could see that they were dry.


    Pecta glared at her. ¡°I know you''re a ruthless, fanatical killer, but could you just shut up for one moment?¡± Lilith raised her eyebrow in mock offence. ¡°I disagree with two of the three statements. I mean, have you seen some of the priests from the Creator¡¯s Church? Complete whack jobs, I tell you.¡±


    It was fascinating how their personalities changed when they were in the same room together. Despite only knowing each other for a day, it was obvious that there was no love lost between them. I didn¡¯t even need Sense State to figure that out, even if I didn¡¯t know the reason. And frankly, it currently wasn¡¯t that important. I clapped my hands together, interrupting their senseless bickering.


    Clapping was such an all-purpose gesture that humans used and I was glad that I could do it as well, despite the distinctly different sound. ¡°We need to come up with a plan,¡± I stated. Both of them reluctantly nodded, so we got to planning.


    Unfortunately, the plan that we ended up with was rather lacklustre. It was too risky for me to step outside, so I would stay hidden for the foreseeable future. Pecta would be responsible for getting food and other accommodations with the money we had ¡®liberated¡¯ from the bandits. Lilith, on the other hand, would be our spy, informing us of the progress of the Desert Vipers and any other new developments that might occur. We hoped that security would slowly relax, making it possible for us to sneak out with a caravan.


    I had asked Lilith if she would join us when that happened, but she had declined. Prying was very tempting but I restrained myself. Her reasons were her own, and I had learned enough through conversation with Pecta that humans often didn¡¯t want to talk about ¡®private¡¯ matters. For now, I could only sit back and wait for things to change.

 First Signs of Unrest

    The following days passed at what felt like half speed. When I had seen Seran, I was so excited to explore a human city for the first time. How many different people lived here? What exciting and breathtaking secrets would I find? All of this awaited me.


    The first day, where I had just been out and about had been a blast. Even though my experience with Sarvad had soured it, I still remembered that short time fondly. The excitement of discovering new things kept me going and made me forget the hardships of the desert. Then everything went to hell.


    Now I had to spend my days in a cramped room, reminiscing about the good times. The excitement had vanished, replaced by absolute boredom. At first, I spent most of my time talking to Pecta.


    However, my companion was free to roam outside, and he began to take advantage of this freedom more often. He could stroll around the city, enjoying all of it¡¯s perks without a risk in the world. Even if he was being productive by gathering information and buying necessities, I didn¡¯t like it. Jealousy was a strong emotion that couldn¡¯t be quelled by logic.


    As for Lilith? She had to work overtime for her guild and only rarely visited. The hunt for me was on, and it wasn''t going to stop anytime soon. All of this meant that I spent a lot of my time alone with my thoughts and uncertainties.


    Uncertainty was another emotion that I was getting to know way too thoroughly. Loneliness gnawed at me, of course, but the real problem was the unknown. So many questions lay unanswered and I could do nothing to change that. Who was the horned woman? What did she want from me? Was she really responsible for creating me?


    It felt like the answers were so close, somewhere in Seran, but how to get them? Was the search for answers worth the risk of death? By the third day, I was truly starting to consider it. I even proposed the idea to Pecta, but he was firmly against it. ¡°Why risk it? It is for the best if we do nothing and just wait it out,¡± he had said. Oh, it was easy for him to say that. It wasn¡¯t him who couldn¡¯t see the sunlight or stretch his legs properly. I had started to spend a lot of time pacing up and down the room just to have something to do.


    My other avenue of entertainment was the mindscape, but that turned out to be fruitless. Further experimentation with my powers didn¡¯t yield any further results. It only reaffirmed the fact that I, as a User, could strongly influence this world. When I went to check on Sarvad, I found him leaning against the cell wall. He didn¡¯t react when I tried to talk to him. Nor did he react when I approached him. Sarvad had become completely unresponsive. When I asked Adam about it, he couldn¡¯t answer.


    Another activity took up most of my time. Sleep was something that I was nervous and excited for. Technically, I didn¡¯t require sleep, or at least not as much as humans. But it was a good way to waste time, and after waking up I usually felt more alert. The only problem were the dreams.


    Since my ¡®talk¡¯ with Sarvad they had changed. Gone was the creepy imagery and the never-ending hallways. Now, every time I went to sleep, I experienced what I could only assume were memories from Sarvad. They were different, but not an improvement.


    The dreams varied wildly. Sometimes he was alone, playing with wooden toys in a white room, other times there were other children with him. Those memories felt¡­ calm, yet somehow lonely. No matter how many children were with him, he always kept to himself. Then there were the memories with the adults. They appeared as human figures in long white coats. Expressionless masks always covered their faces. The only exception was the women from the first memory. The horned woman. She sometimes appeared with the other adults, performing various tests on the children. Whenever I awoke from those dreams I felt odd. Like I had just seen something disturbing yet strangely mesmerising.


    The fourth day had one of those rare moments where all three of us were present. Lilith had brought a deck of cards and we sat around the dimly lit table playing. The game was called Fortune and the first few rounds were used to explain the rules to me.


    All players started with five cards and would play one each turn. They had different effects, which could be as simple as drawing two cards or more game-changing, like swapping hands with another player. Some cards had ¡®synergies¡¯ and to win you needed a ¡®set¡¯ of cards in front of you.


    Both Pecta and Lilith were familiar with the game and were quite good at it. At least as far as I could tell. The game seemed to bring out a competitive side in them, as after a quick tutorial for my sake, I struggled to keep up. Fortune was a game that involved equal parts luck, skill, and reading facial expressions. I sucked at all of those things, especially reading other people.


    After a particularly bad game, I had even started using Sense State to ¡®help¡¯ me win. It turned out to be less effective than I had hoped. Sure, it helped me see when Lilith had a counter to one of my cards but even then her experience in the game simply trumped this advantage. Against Pecta, it was even less effective, as half of the time my ability couldn¡¯t get a read on him due to ¡®A lack of any identifiable facial queues¡¯. His ability to keep a straight face was legendary.


    ¡°Are there signs of the hunt stopping anytime soon? I mean, it must be getting expensive for your guild to keep expanding resources just to find us,¡± Pecta asked while playing a High Priestess. ¡°Oh, definitely not,¡± Lilith answered offhandedly while analysing the board state. Pecta¡¯s High Priestess made all his cards immune to Destroy and Steal effects.


    ¡°Far from it actually. The only reason I got a break was because I worked for like 20 hours. Some newbie is currently shadowing my search zone while I have my free time.¡± Finally coming to a decision, she played a Strength card, empowering her next action.


    I looked at my hand, not liking the options. ¡°Will you have more free time from now on?¡± I asked, trying to distract myself from my impending loss. Lilith shook her head. ¡°I wish. The Guild Master is obsessed with you. If I didn¡¯t know any better I would think he wanted to fuck you.¡± This statement drew a disapproving glare from Pecta, even though I didn¡¯t really understand what she had meant.


    ¡°So, I will have to spend more time alone?¡± Pecta cringed but nodded. ¡°Sorry for leaving so often. I¡¯m searching for any way to leave Seran or at least improve our circumstances.¡±


    ¡°Any luck?¡± I asked hopefully but my companion responded negatively. ¡°Nothing concrete. There are leads, but I¡¯d rather not share them until I know if they actually go anywhere.¡± That was disappointing but unexpected. Without much thought, I played the Star. Lilith moaned and Pecta grinned. His cards were protected by his High Priestess while Lilith¡¯s were exposed.


    ¡°Do you know of anything I could do to pass the time? It''s really boring being stuck here.¡± I had tried to find stuff to do on my own, but that hadn¡¯t worked. After a while everything started to get dull.


    ¡°Can you read?¡± Lilith asked suddenly. Pecta gave her a look like she had just grown a second head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, why?¡± I replied eagerly. Was this the solution to my problem? ¡°All of the rich people, especially nobles, know how to read and spend a lot of time doing it. I also know the basics, but never really got into it.¡± She turned to Pecta and gave him a cheeky grin. ¡°What about you? You seem like a refined noble boy with a thirst for reading. Pecta rolled his eyes in response. ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Addressing me, he said, ¡°I never had the opportunity to learn how to read. It is simply too expensive and would only help me minimally in my daily life.¡± He pondered Lilith¡¯s idea for a moment. ¡°If you can read then books can probably help you get past your boredom. Even if you can¡¯t, I¡¯m sure Lilith can help you.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Plus, you wouldn¡¯t have too ask me so many questions anymore.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is there some place with lots of books that you can read?¡± I asked excitedly. The concept sounded great and I doubted that someone hadn¡¯t invented such a place. ¡°Yeah, such a place does exist.¡± Lilith grinned. ¡°It¡¯s called a library.¡±


    That information was exciting but there was something interesting that I noted from this exchange. I had already used the word ¡®library¡¯ while thinking, but never delved into its meaning. Interesting side note.


    ¡°Could you get me one of those books from the library?¡± I asked, full of hope. Unfortunately, Pecta immediately shut down my idea. ¡°Libraries are only for the rich. To become a member, you either need to be swimming in coins or be nobility.¡± Before I could get sad, Lilith butted in with a smug smile. ¡°There is another way to get books from a library. It¡¯s easy, you just have to-¡°


    ¡°No, no stealing,¡± Pecta cut her off. ¡°Stop setting a bad example for Vindict.¡± He looked at me. ¡°If you want a book I will simply buy one for you. Our coin stash is big enough for a few extra expenses.¡± Lilith rolled her eyes. ¡°Spoilsport. Besides, I am only teaching him the basics. Wait till he gets older, then I will teach him what real fun means.¡±


    ¡°Your definition of fun probably isn¡¯t the commonly accepted one,¡± Pecta replied dryly. The assassin suggestively raised an eyebrow beneath her bandages. ¡°Wanna find out?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t. But do you want to know what I find fun?¡± Pecta asked. Before anyone could answer, he slammed the Empress down on the field. ¡°Winning.¡±


    ¡°Good game,¡± I congratulated him, while Lilith cursed him to to the high heavens and the deepest pits of hell. ¡°That was very impressive.¡± Especially since I had no idea what had just happened. ¡°Thank you,¡± he answered with a smile. ¡°For your fifth game that was also pretty good.¡±


    ¡°I hope you both stub your toes,¡± Lilith mumbled while laying flat on the table. I patted her head to comfort her and looked at Pecta. ¡°If it isn¡¯t too much trouble, please buy me a book. Anything to get rid of this boredom.¡±


    ¡°What topic?¡± He asked while collecting all the cards and putting them into a box. What would be most useful for me? Something that could teach me more about my problems. I immediately wanted to ask for a book about demons but that would be too suspicious. Instead I thought of something related to demons. ¡°How about something about gods? Maybe a book about Noctus.¡±


    Lilith gave me a thumbs up. ¡°Good choice!¡± From what I had gotten from Pecta¡¯s speech about demons, they were closely linked with gods. Besides, it made sense to invest time in finding out more about Noctus, since I still didn¡¯t know why he had taken an interest in me. Pecta looked thoughtful at my request. ¡°I¡¯m sure I could find something about gods. It is probably a good idea for you to learn more about them.¡±


    I did a happy little dance in my head. Finally, something to relieve the boredom! Before I could thank him even more, Lilith raised her head from the table. A fierce spark burned in her eyes. ¡°I want a rematch!¡±


    <hr>


    Eleura looked with interest through the glass window that separated her from the testing chamber. Next to her stood Facility Lord Werth with an unreadable expression on his face. It was more than unusual for an Administrator to be present during an experiment. Most experiments were simply beneath them. But this was a special case. Not because it held much significance but because it had to do with life essence.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Back when Eleura had been a simple Knowledge Seeker, life essence had been her primary field of study. Her findings on it quickly made her into the Main Knowledge Seeker of her site and even let her rise to become an Administrator. Admittedly, this step had only been possible because she had managed to gain the support of one of the three Overseers.


    Hearing that an experiment with life essence would be performed had filled her with nostalgia, and she had taken a break from the tedious paperwork to watch it. Facility Lord Werth had been surprisingly accommodating considering their recent misgivings, but Eleura chalked it up to him wanting to get back into the good grace of his boss.


    Inside the test chamber, a Knowledge Seeker was preparing their tools for the procedure. These consisted of a scalpel, a syringe, and several vials filled with some kind of fluid. The Administrator activated one of her many artefacts to get a better understanding of what she was seeing. The liquid was a mixture of various materials containing a high amount of life essence. Given the intensity of the essence she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the fluid contained distilled life essence.


    ¡°What is the name of the compound?¡± She asked the Facility Lord without turning away. ¡°It is a newly created mixture,¡± he answered in a neutral tone. ¡°No official designation has been chosen, but some workers have coined the name ¡®Lifebloom¡¯.¡± Eleura raised an eyebrow but didn¡¯t comment. The experiment was about to start.


    Finally being ready, the Knowledge Seeker drained one vile with the syringe and turned towards the test subject. It had been strapped to an operating table and given paralytics to reduce movement. Only its eyes darted fearfully around the bright room. The facial expression of the Knowledge Seeker was completely hidden by their faceless mask as they calmly walked towards the operating table and injected the compound.


    Eleura absentmindedly scratched her arm as the life essence spread through its body. Werth looked over in irritation, clearly annoyed by the noise. Unlike humans, part of her arm were covered in bark, which produced an irritating sound when scratched.


    Luckily for him he didn¡¯t say anything. Having a non-human as his boss was probably a blow to his pride but he knew better than to openly criticise her. ¡°Tell me the details of this test and how it differs from the previous ones,¡± she commanded, genuinely curious.


    Werth squinted his eyes at the test subject. ¡°During the earlier tests we used a compound that was a slight variation from the one we are currently testing. The life essence in it had been distilled, thus the results were minimal.¡± The Administrator nodded in approval. Eleura didn¡¯t like the Facility Lord but she had to admit that he was well informed about what was happening in his facility. A quality that was usually admirable but could lead to trouble down the line.


    Eleura didn¡¯t think that he knew about the disappearance of Facility X or even the importance of the project. Very few people knew the details. Facility Lord Werth coughed, like he had swallowed something. Eleura glanced at him but nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. It could spill disaster if anybody found out about it.


    ¡°What were the results of the first experiment?¡± She prodded in order to get a better understanding of what she could expect. ¡°The subject turned into a monster,¡± Werth calmly stated. ¡°The body underwent severe change due to the overabundance of life essence inside it. We expected it to die from the changes but somehow the life essence was keeping the subject alive. The results were an increase of speed and strength. This phenomenon has already been submitted for further testing.¡±


    ¡°Was the subject turned into a monster or a non-human?¡±


    Werth gritted his teeth. ¡°A monster, Administrator. No signs of sapience were retained. I would compare it to a ghoul, just alive.¡± Eleura nodded her head. This was a point she had to clarify since many humans didn¡¯t distinct between monsters and non-humans. This was one of the many reasons why people didn¡¯t like seeing her in such a high ranking position.


    ¡°The transformation is starting,¡± Werth interrupted her negative thoughts. Eleura leaned forward in anticipation. Growths were starting to appear along the subjects body. Through her life sight she could see that the life essence in those parts had clumped up, seemingly trying to escape its confines. Suddenly, the subject started twitching and shaking. It seemed like the overabundance of life essence had neutralised the paralytic.


    Eleura was sure that if the room hadn¡¯t been sound proof she would be hearing the screams of the subject right now. It started to strain against the restraints binding it to the table but unsurprisingly they held. They had been crafted to withstand far worse than this.


    The Knowledge Seeker in the room waited for a couple of seconds to make sure that no further changes were coming. Then they quickly prepared another vile of Lifebloom to inject. This one had a more resounding effect. More growths started to form and the already existing ones grew even larger. Underneath them she could make out the growing form of bulging muscles. The extremities also became longer and more muscular, making the subject appear like a deformed scarecrow. Its struggles intensified but the bonds held firm.


    The Knowledge Seeker started to prepare the third vile. ¡°Excuse me, Administrator but I need to take care of an urgent matter,¡± the Sitelord interrupted her fun. Eleura just waved him off, not really caring about him. Tracing the path of the life essence through the subject was extremely interesting and if Werth didn¡¯t want to participate then it was his loss.


    The door to the viewing room clicked shut as the Knowledge Seeker approached the deformed subject. They tried to inject the third vial but failed to pierce its skin. The life essence was reinforcing the body of its host. Of course, the Knowledge Seeker had come prepared and took out the scalpel. It took a bit of work before they were able to remove a layer of skin. The blood that leaked out was a sickly green. They weren¡¯t fazed by this and injected the syringe into the squishy mess beneath the skin.


    The body grew even larger and more deformed. Some of the growths started to burst and released sprays of black liquid. Some of it sprayed on the Knowledge Seeker¡¯s robe and began to sizzle. No harm was done to them, as the equipment used for experiments was acid prove. The thrashing of the subject increased. Eleura nodded in appreciation and turned off her life sight. The results of the test where fascinating and she was happy to have seen it. Still, it was only a short break from the monotony of paper work. The Knowledge Seekers would evaluate the findings.


    Eleura was about to leave when she noticed something strange happening in the testing chamber. The Knowledge Seeker had begun to claw at their clothing in an apparent attempt to get it off of them. More sprays of corrosive fluids had hit them and they seemed to be spreading. ¡°That doesn¡¯t look go-¡° Suddenly the restraints holding one of the arms of the test subject snapped. It¡¯s now grotesquely long arm reached towards the Knowledge Seeker and squeezed. After only a second the subject let go, leaving behind a bloody sizzling heap that looked like someone had crumpled up a piece of paper.


    Eleura frowned. Loosing a skilled Knowledge Seeker was such a waste. The remaining restraints snapped and the monstrosity rose up and let out a silent howl. Growths sporadically burst, spraying the room with acid. Eleura ticked down the seconds in her head. Any moment now the Enforcers would contain or put down this mess. After 10 seconds of nothing happening the Administrator started to get worried. What was keeping them? In an attempt to figure out more about the creature that was rampaging inside the testing chamber she activated life sight.


    Immediately the test subject stopped its senseless frenzy and turned to stare at her. Her frown deepened further. That was strange. The material that separated them only allowed a one way view. It shouldn¡¯t be possible for the creature to see her. As if to prove her wrong, the monster rushed the wall separating them and smashed its fists against it. The wall held, if barely. Eleura slowly started to back away. This was getting concerning and there were still no signs of the Enforcers coming.


    Suddenly, she heard sizzling. Before she could comprehend that the creature¡¯s acid had weakened the wall it reared back and shattered it. The Administrator barely managed to raise her arms in order to block before being sent flying into the opposite wall. Amidst the crashing debris a wet gurgle could be heard. The screams of the former human that were silenced by a growth growing in their mouth, forcing it open in a perpetual scream.


    Coughing, Eleura managed to get back on her feet. A human would have been pancaked but a Dryam was naturally tougher. She moved her arms to shake off the numbness. They were completely covered in a mixture of bark and scales that had softened the blow. A natural defence mechanism of Dryam¡¯s, one that had saved her life countless times. The monstrosity let out a gurgling roar and took a step forward.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how you want to play?¡± Eleura asked, more annoyed than scared. Dryams were usually weak and relied on their natural defences to escape danger. ¡®Usually¡¯ being the key word. With a growl she activated multiple artefacts and her body was shrouded in a green glow. This infuriated the monster even more and it rushed to attack her.


    A voice in the back of her head noted that it seemed to be attracted by life essence but Eleura disregarded it. Now wasn¡¯t the time for hypothesis. The creature tried to grab her with its long arms but the Administrator dodged, much faster than she had previously been. Suddenly, all growths on the monster¡¯s arms burst simultaneously. Such an attack was impossible to dodge but Eleura didn¡¯t have to. A bubble of life essence sprang up around her and absorbed the acid.


    Without wasting a moment, she grabbed the now growthless arm and threw the creature back into the testing chamber. It recovered surprisingly quick and rushed back at her.


    Eleura frowned as she watched it with her life sight. Her last attack had broken several bones in the monster¡¯s arm. This would have usually disabled that appendage but the creature apparently thought different. Life essence had rushed to the wounds and almost immediately fixed them. She noted that the subject was now moving slightly slower but not enough to make a difference.


    Putting this creature down would require something special. Luckily, Eleura had just the right thing. When it reached her for the second time she dodged again to the right. Intelligence truly wasn¡¯t this monsters strong suit as it wasn¡¯t prepared for this obvious move. But this time Eleura didn¡¯t grab it. No, instead she raised her hand and activated her necklace. A bone spike erupted from her hand and hit the monster square in the side. It tried to grab her but she just backed away. The bone spike retreated back into her hand like it had never been there in the first place. Its work was done.


    Another roar announced the third incoming charge of the creature but this time something was different. It moved more sluggish and Eleura casually dodged. The monster tried to turn around but only managed to do it halfway before collapsing. The bone spike had truly done its job. Any normal poison would have immediately been cleansed by the rampaging life essence inside the creature but Eleura hadn¡¯t used any normal poison. It was her own creation, specifically designed to effect life essence. Instead of damaging it this poison simply slowed it down for a while, leading to the victim becoming unconscious.


    Eleura heard the door of the room slam open and when she turned she was faced with a squad of Enforcers. Her look was enough to make them flinch. ¡°Administrator, it is good to see-¡° ¡°Where have you been?¡± She hissed. Before they had a chance to answer she stormed past them and into the hall. Werth was standing outside the room. ¡°Explain!¡± She demanded from the way too calm Facility Lord.


    ¡°My apologies, Administrator. The security forces were unprepared for the escape of the subject, which resulted in their delayed arrival. I am ready to accept all blame for this failure.¡± Eleura angrily studied her underling for any signs of emotion. ¡°You better be ready to accept the blame!¡± She hissed before heading to her office. She tried to look calm but inside she was fuming.


    That snake! On the surface it was easy to assume that this had been a simple mistake on the Facility Lord¡¯s part. The Overseers would definitely see this that way and only lightly punish Werth. But the circumstances were too perfect. He knew of her obsession with life essence and that she would most likely attend an experiment involving it. This experiment just so happened to be a stronger version of one that turned the test subject into a ravenous monster.


    She was sure that if she looked at the test logs from the previous experiment she would find that the subject in it also displayed an attraction to life essence. As someone who primarily used artefacts with life essence and also was a Dryam, a creature with a high aptitude for life magic, she was the perfect target for such a monster. And Werth just so happened to leave the room when the test reached its final phase. The almost comically late arrival of the Enforcers was just the cherry on top. No, this hadn¡¯t been an accident. This had been a planned assassination attempt disguised as an accident.


    But why? Did he want her position? Did he want to kill her for not being human? It didn¡¯t matter. What did matter was that Eleura couldn¡¯t do anything against the Facility Lord. Sure, she was technically his superior but this didn¡¯t give her the ability to remove him from his position without any solid evidence. Eleura thought about informing the Overseers about her suspicions but quickly crossed it from her mind. It would be seen as a sign of weakness, an Administrator letting out her anger on her underlings.


    Luckily, Werth had severely underestimated her strength. The attempted assassination hadn¡¯t killed her and he would come to regret it. Oh, she would be ready when he attempted something like that again.

 Thieves for Knowledge

    ¡°And as the ever shining light met the eternal darkness a¡­ mircle happened?¡±


    ¡°Miracle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, right, of course. An in- intertwinement of a harmony of elegance and a devou¡­ devouring void. And as sun and night mingled, a pulchrid- I need a break.¡± With a sigh, I closed the book. I wasn¡¯t prone to violence but whoever wrote this amalgamation deserved a stern talking to.


    ¡°Come on, you are so close to finishing the chapter!¡± Lilith encouraged. ¡°You¡¯re improving so fast, that I¡¯m frankly jealous. It took me months to get this good.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Lilith,¡± I nodded, smiling in the direction of her lounging form. This was the third day of learning to read and I was getting pretty good at it. However, I couldn¡¯t take all the credit for my rapid progress. Sarvad was the main reason for it. Even though I couldn¡¯t read, he could, and I possessed a lot of his knowledge. That didn¡¯t make me immediately fluent, but it was a huge help.


    ¡°So, let me get this straight: Noctus is the son of Abnar, God of Light, and Durmera, Goddess Of Darkness, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡± That¡­ kind of made sense. Shadows were a mixture of light and dark, so it only made sense that the god of them was a fusion of both. Although, how that was physically possible was beyond me. Probably some weird essence thing. Maybe I could ask him the next time we met. ¡°Does that mean that followers of Noctus, Abnar, and Durmera all like each other?¡± I asked. Lilith burst out laughing. ¡°Hahaha, not even slightly. They all hate each other.¡±


    ¡°Wait, but their patrons are a family. How does that make sense?¡± I questioned her. Family was an abstract term but I at least knew the definition for it. A family was a group of people who were related to one another and who also cared for each other.


    ¡°Yes, they are a family,¡± Lilith confirmed. ¡°Just not a very good one.¡± She tilted her head to the side. I had noticed that she always did that when she was thinking. Pecta had a habit of doing it too, though to a much lesser degree.


    ¡°I got to admit I¡¯m no expert on their relationship,¡± the assassin admitted. ¡°I know some stories, but their validity is debatable. All I can say for sure is that Abnar and Durmera are generally at odds. Not that much of a surprise, since light and dark. Abnar is also the unofficial head of the Pantheon of Order, while Durmera is a member of the Pantheon of Chaos.¡±


    I shivered. Pantheon of Chaos didn¡¯t sound very pleasant. Seeing my reaction, Lilith shook her head. ¡°I can guess what you are thinking, but you¡¯re wrong. The gods from the Chaos Pantheon aren¡¯t exactly evil, despite what the Creator¡¯s Church would have you believe. They stand for darker concepts, sure, but those are just as intrinsic to life as the more fun stuff. But I suggest talking to someone who worships them. They can explain it much better than I can.¡±


    I nodded, but also frowned in confusion. ¡°Isn¡¯t Noctus a part of the Chaos Pantheon?¡± Lilith chuckled and shook her head. ¡°Nope. Noctus isn¡¯t part of any pantheon which makes him disliked by both sides. It may be legal to worship him here, but it is heavily frowned upon. Followers of Durmera are more accepting of Noctus, but only by a little. Though, as far as I can tell, the relationship between Noctus and his mother isn¡¯t all bad. Sure, there is that one story where he steals an artefact from here and as revenge, she sends out bloodthirsty monsters of darkness to devour all his followers. But there are also some where they almost act like a normal family.¡±


    ¡°Very interesting,¡± I stated while doubting that her concept of normal was the same as mine. ¡°Oh, but his relationship with his father is always described as shit,¡± she added. ¡°Actually the one following his birth is my favourite. It revolves around Abnar commanding his angels to-¡° ¡°Hey!¡± I interrupted and glared at her. ¡°What?¡± She asked confused. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what happens!¡± I demanded. ¡°It won¡¯t be interesting if I already know what¡¯s coming.¡±


    Lilith laughed and stretched her limbs. ¡°Come on, knowing what will happen isn¡¯t that ba- ok wow, I¡¯ll stop!¡± Luckily for her, she stopped the heretical words from leaving her lips. Probably had something to do with my growl. At my look, she chuckled and stood up. ¡°Well, about time I leave. Want me to grab you another book?¡± She frowned at my displeased expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I- It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Ok, now I definitely know that something is up,¡± Lilith stated as she plopped into the chair across from me. Her eyes rolled when she saw my hesitation. ¡°Come on, I¡¯m responsible for keeping you safe. And being sad won¡¯t make my job any easier. So spit it out.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± In truth I was frustrated. Sure, the book had alleviated my boredom and was sating my curiosity but it felt like I was still stuck. It contained many interesting facts about Noctus and the other gods but nothing about demons or anything that could help me in my current situation. It felt like the walls were closing in around me. The many hours of being alone with my uncertainty were starting to gnaw on me and not even books could distract me from it. My restlessness had gotten so bad that I struggled to eat. Even my dreams were getting worse, with some just being a jumbled mess of sounds and disturbing feelings.


    I didn¡¯t want to burden Lilith but keeping her guessing what my problem was wouldn¡¯t help either. ¡°It feels like I¡¯m stuck. I have spent seven days in this cell without seeing the sun or breathing fresh air. And what am I doing with my time? Not something productive. What makes it even more frustrating is that the answers to my problems feel so close. Like I just need to search in the right place to find them.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lilith sighed. ¡°Can¡¯t say I relate. Most of my work for Noctus¡¯ Dream didn¡¯t involve a lot of unknowns. Scout, prepare, and kill. Simple routine. But I do know that boredom¡¯s a bitch.¡± The next couple of moments were spent in silence, as both of us were submersed in our own thoughts.


    ¡°There is a place where we can look for information.¡± I looked up as Lilith continued. ¡°I can take you tonight but it is risky. If someone catches us we¡¯ll be in trouble.¡± With trouble, she most likely meant death or in my case capture. ¡°Of course, I want to go, but shouldn¡¯t we talk to Pecta first?¡± My other companion had been gone for a few hours, following his ¡®lead¡¯. In the last couple of days, he had frequently disappeared, often not knowing himself when he would be back. One time he was gone for almost an entire day.


    ¡°We can talk to him but that would mean postponing the trip for at least another week,¡± she said. ¡°One week has gone by and the Guild Master is starting to be desperate. After today, he wants to ramp up the search for you even more. I will be too busy to accompany you and there is no way you are leaving this place without me. Way too risky.¡±


    That was a difficult decision. I had no way of knowing how long Pecta would be away and not informing him seemed risky. But on the other hand, wasn¡¯t this what I¡¯d been looking for? A way to get more answers. We would only be gone shortly and with Lilith accompanying me the risks should be minimal. Moreover, another day spent in solitude might drive me insane. Looking at her, I nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    Lilith grinned. ¡°I knew you¡¯d be up for some fun. Before we go, I need to take care of some things, so let¡¯s say in 3 hours.¡±


    The next three hours passed in a flash. There wasn¡¯t a lot I needed to prepare so I spent most of the time restlessly pacing around the room. When Lilith arrived I stood ready. Most of the clothes Pecta and I had salvaged back in the desert had been basically scrap so my companion had gone through the trouble of getting it up to snuff.


    Beneath my leather armour, I now wore brand-new clothes that were a bit too big but still way more comfortable than the rags I had previously worn. The armour was also cleaned of blood and the biggest holes had been patched up. My dagger was tied to a belt and concealed by the cowl that I had put on. The cowl was necessary to hide my setup and my claw. All in all, I wore 3 layers of fabric, which would be very uncomfortable for a normal human. For me, it was just cozy.


    Lilith had been so nice as to gift me two sets of bandages, one yellow and one black. Because nightfall was fast approaching, I decided to wear the black one. ¡®Bandages¡¯ actually wasn¡¯t the proper term for them. They were a ritualistic item called ¡®umbral¡¯ used by followers of Noctus but Lilith also just referred to them as bandages.


    My companion whistled appreciatively when she saw me. ¡°Like looking into a mirror.¡± Her getup was identical on the outside. The only real visible difference was my bulky stature, due to the armour I was wearing beneath.


    ¡°Ready to go?¡±


    With a nod, I followed her outside. Night had set over the city and the only light shining into the alley was from the silver moon. Carefully looking around Lilith motioned for me to close the entrance to the hideout and follow her.


    We wove through the tight alleyways, one of us more graceful than the other. The moon only provided minimal light, which was not enough for me to avoid the various dirty-smelling obstacles. I didn¡¯t even want to know what half of them were and I was certain that I had stumbled over at least one sleeping human. Lilith rolled her eyes at my mistakes but it was obvious that she was enjoying herself.


    After some time we finally reached the main street. Lilith motioned for me to stop. ¡°Going the rest of the way through the alley system is too risky. I¡¯m sure that at least one of my guild members is watching them. We will instead blend in with the crowd on the main street and make our way from there.¡±


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Won¡¯t the bandages make us stand out?¡± I quietly asked. ¡°They probably will,¡± she admitted. ¡°But it is better than you walking around with your face exposed. Half the city has already seen your wanted poster by now. Hopefully, everybody will be too preoccupied by the festival.¡±


    At my questioning look she rolled her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. The Flow Celebration just includes some minor partying. You¡¯re not missing out.¡± Lilith put a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Just don¡¯t leave my side or do anything that would cause attention. We don¡¯t want to deal with the city guard. With that, she grabbed my human hand and pulled me along.


    Despite the late time, the streets weren¡¯t empty. Far from it actually. Many humans were walking around, making sure to keep their coats tightly pulled around them. It was astonishing how different the temperature was from day and night. We inconspicuously joined the rush, heading deeper into the city. Lilith had to admonish me several times for staring at people but I couldn¡¯t help it. Being forced to stay in a cramped room for several days had been horrible and had almost made me forget how beautiful Seran was. Were other human cities the same? Hopefully, I would get to find out.


    As we got closer to the city centre the street began to fill. What had been solitary humans going about their business turned into large crowds making a lot of noise. A pleasant smell wafted through the air and the general mood seemed to be jovial. The humans were smiling, dancing, and drinking. Torches were lining the streets, giving off warmth and creating shadows that seemed to be dancing as well.


    A female human standing at the entrance of a house locked eyes with me and hollered out, ¡°Hey handsome, wana have a good time?¡± The woman seemed nice and I liked the idea of a good time. Though why she was barely clothed was something I couldn¡¯t answer. But before I could do anything Lilith pulled me along. ¡°Don¡¯t get distracted by all the glamour,¡± she muttered, so quietly that only I could hear. Then, under her breath, she added, ¡°Every city has some kind of celebration to distract the people from their misery.¡±


    Her attitude got me thinking and I tried to look past the surface. Beginning to adjust, I started noticing irregularities. Everyone was celebrating but some didn¡¯t seem to enjoy themselves. The woman who had called out to me had already turned her attention towards another male human. She seemed eager, purring about what fun things they could do together, but her facial expression was off. Using Sense Mind revealed what I had started to suspect. Desperation. Even as the man followed her inside she reeked of emptiness and desperation and she wasn¡¯t the only woman on the sidewalk doing so.


    Shuddering I tried to look away but more and more cases of helplessness started to become apparent. A man was playing cards with three other humans on a small crate. One of them laughed and collected the shining coins that had been laid out. He seemed to be enjoying himself but the other man certainly wasn¡¯t. Despite them only being copper coins he looked to be ready to punch the other man.


    Multiple alleyways branched off from the main street and I could see figures lurking in them. They were wearing rags and looked on at the celebration with hate and envy. Without realising it I quickened my pace. I spotted the occasional city guard but they didn¡¯t pay us any attention.


    Suddenly, a scream split the air and a small figure clutching a purse scurried into an alleyway. A pair of guards followed and not long after more screams could be heard, these ones filled with pain. I wanted to rush in and do something but Lilith stopped me. ¡°Don¡¯t. We can¡¯t risk getting involved in other people¡¯s business,¡± she looked towards the alleyway that the figure had disappeared into. ¡°They will only give the thief a small beating and return the purse. Probably.


    Moving deeper into the city only thickened the crowd, as more and more people joined in the celebration. With this, my feeling of unease only grew at the increasing number of miserable people I spotted.


    I was almost glad when Lilith pulled me into an alleyway. ¡°From here on out the main street is too dangerous. The city guard is getting more numerous.¡± I nodded, as I had noticed that the number of armoured humans overseeing the celebration had increased. Silently we continued on our way.


    It didn¡¯t take long before we finally reached our destination. The area we were in housed larger buildings than the outskirts of Seran and our target was no exception. It faced the street, meaning that we only saw its back, but that was enough to confirm that this was a place for nobles. The building towered over us, made out of perfectly sculpted sandstone. Each floor had rows of large windows that were flanked by humanoid statues holding swords and books. Sadly, I couldn¡¯t see much of the structure, due to the stone wall blocking our path. Squinting my eyes I tried to read what was engraved into the stone. ¡°Li- Library?¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± Lilith confirmed. ¡°The perfect place for finding more information on the not-so-public stuff.¡±She shrugged. ¡°Or so I¡¯m told. Never used one myself.¡± I gulped as I realised what the plan was. Breaking into a library wasn¡¯t on my list of things I wanted to do. It seemed like a bad act. But so was murder but despite that a guild that killed for money was allowed to operate in Seran. Sadly, I had come to find that morality was malleable for a lot of humans. If I wanted to get anywhere I would have to adapt. If breaking into this building wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone, I was on board.


    Breaking into the library was actually way easier than expected. No guards were stationed there and entering simply involved Lilith climbing over the wall and throwing me a rope. My less-than-dextrous claw made it impossible for me to climb over, which meant that I had to tie the rope around my waist. Lilith managing to pull me up was astounding, considering that I probably weighed more than her. Or maybe humans were anatomically heavier?Asking Lilith about her weight earned me a glare. I chalked it up to Chosen strength.


    Once we crossed the wall, a door was the only thing that separated us from infinite knowledge. Kneeling in front of the lock, Lilith pulled out a pair of wires and began finicking them into the keyhole. After a minute something clicked and the door swung open. My fellow housebreaker stood up and motioned for me to enter.


    I moved forward but stopped when Lilith didn¡¯t follow. When I questioned her about this she shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t see much use of going with you. There is nothing in there for me. Plus, you probably know better than anyone what you¡¯re searching for.¡±


    That was a valid point. I was looking for information on the people who were chasing me but what did I truly know about them? That they were powerful and probably evil? Finding answers was a long shot but it felt good to at least try Maybe I would find something about my demon problems or the fact that I had multiple voices in my head. ¡°Ok, but please stay nearby.¡±


    She grinned and waved me off. ¡°How sweet. Don¡¯t worry, I will stay and help if something happens. Although, I doubt that anything will. Most peasants can¡¯t read, so they don¡¯t guard the library. And all the workers are already in bed, dreaming of sucking up to the next noble who enters.¡±


    Ignoring her derogatory remark about simple workers I quietly snuck inside. The door silently closed behind me. I found myself in a small corridor leading to a set of stairs. It took a while for my eyes to get accustomed to the light, but when that happened I noticed the device almost hidden behind the doorframe. It was a lantern, similar to the one in the hideout.


    Picking it up I removed the blinder, exposing the lightstone within. It illuminated the corridor and made it clear that this wasn¡¯t the main entrance. From what I had heard, nobles wouldn¡¯t be caught dead in a hallway full of dust, which meant that this was a backdoor.


    Quietly sneaking up the stairs, I entered a small room, that looked like a workspace. Many desks covered with papers and half-finished sketches filled the cramped space. From the amount of chairs, I assumed that a sizeable number of people worked here during the day. Now it was all empty.


    I spotted a door that led deeper into the library when a sudden noise startled me. I whipped around and got ready to defend myself but nobody was there. Had that just been my imagination? No, there it was again! It sounded animalistic and not something a human would make. Maybe a monster.


    Gripping the lantern I debated whether to leave or to continue onwards without investigating. But in the end, I headed for the noise. I wanted to say that it was a tactically smart decision, and maybe it was, but I did it mainly to satisfy my curiosity. What or who could be in a library at night? Another thief? The noises were coming from the end of the room.


    As I approached, I could make out the hunched-over back of a hooded figure leaning over a desk. I got closer but nothing happened. The figure didn¡¯t move. When I was within arms reach, I grabbed the hood and pulled it back. A groan almost escaped my mouth when I saw the sleeping human. The animal noises had just been him snoring. From his clothing, I assumed that he was a worker who had fallen asleep while working. Why nobody had woken him was a mystery.


    Like all the other desks, his was also filled with scriptures. One wasn¡¯t fully complete and had ink splotches from a knocked-over jar on it. The human seemed to have fallen asleep while making it. I skimmed over his work but stopped when I saw that it was a documentation about monsters called sand snails. Certainly interesting but not something that I had the time for.


    Putting it back, I noticed a small piece of paper that had fallen to the ground. Picking it up and reading it revealed that it was a checklist. It started with a bunch of menial activities, like cleaning hall 1 and sorting the books in the agricultural section, that were marked with checkmarks. Two tasks were not marked as complete. The first was to create a copy of the book ¡°The Lives of Sand Snails¡±.


    The second was a bit longer. It read: ¡°Dispose of all books that have been marked red ¡ª> deemed heretical¡±. There was a note in a different handwriting attached to it: ¡°Important!!! There have been complaints from nobles and we do NOT want the fucking Creator¡¯s Church snooping around!¡± I cringed at the vulgar tone and placed the list back on the ground.


    Making sure to stay quiet I started walking towards the only other door in the room. Then I changed my mind and walked back to the human to cover him with his cloak. There was no reason for him to be sleeping uncomfortably.


    When I walked through the door I immediately realised that I had entered the main hall of the library. It was absolutely massive and filled with dozens of bookshelves, all placed parallel to one another. This hall alone probably contained more than a thousand books.


    And that wasn¡¯t even all, as from my position I could make out a staircase that probably led to more bookshelves. This sight was impressive but it also made my job all the more difficult. How was I going to find anything in this hill of knowledge?


    Luckily, there were big signs hanging over different sections of the hall that proclaimed what could be found there. I walked past the ruling and mathematical sections but stopped at the history section. It would not go amiss to learn more about the history of the world. I skimmed over titles like ¡°The Battle of the Trees¡± and ¡°The Reformation of the Creator¡¯s Church¡± until my eyes spotted a book that had been marked with a red cross.


    Frowning, I pulled it out and read the title: ¡°History of Sanktrum and Zalfanum¡±. So, this book was considered heretical. From my talk with Lilith, I remembered that Zalfanum was a nation of non-humans bordering the Kingdom of Sanktrum. Certainly interesting, but worth stealing? I was about to put it back when I remembered the last point on the checklist. Marked books needed to be disposed of. Would they truly miss a book that they would have gotten rid of anyway? Probably not.


    Without giving me further time to hesitate I put it into the interior pocket of my cowl. I continued through various sections that were of no interest to me before reaching the stairs. The haul of the first floor had amounted to one history book and I was eager to see what the second floor would hold.

 Found Out

    The second floor proved to be less helpful than the first. Sure, it contained a variety of interesting information, but nothing of immediate use. I doubted I would find anything useful in the architecture, alchemy, or plant sections. So I moved on to the third floor.


    What I realised upon entering was that this was my last chance. There were no other floors, so if I didn''t find anything useful, then that was it. Fortunately, this did not seem to be a problem as the first section I entered was labeled ¡®The Divine¡¯. What caught my attention was the amount of books marked red. It seemed like this section contained a lot of heretical information, which meant more books that I could take without a bad conscience.


    I ignored the unmarked books and just looked at the titles of the marked ones. Many of them appeared to be retellings of various stories involving the gods. All of them sounded interesting but were too specific for me to matter. A thick book caught my eye for its dry title: ¡°Gods and Facts: The First Part of Nalta¡¯s Encyclopaedia of Gods¡±. It took me a while to fully understand the title, but when I did, I was excited. Maybe this would help me understand Noctus better. The fact that there was a large x drawn on its cover only made me more excited.


    The first page contained a summary. There was a huge section of the book dedicated to the Pantheon of Order and the Pantheon of Chaos. A much smaller section was reserved for gods that weren¡¯t associated with any pantheon. I sighed as I noted a severe lack of Noctus. With no real objective, I quickly browsed through the independent gods. The Goddess of Love, the God of the Ocean, the God of Knowledge-, wait was that an eye?


    I immediately flipped back, and sure enough, a drawn eye was staring back at me. But not just any eye, no, I recognised it. How could I not when a very similar eye haunted all my dreams? Not just similar, basically identical. The shape, the length, the ornaments - everything was the same except for the fact that this eye wasn¡¯t bleeding. This couldn¡¯t be a coincidence. I read the title of the page out loud:


    ¡°Unknown, God of Knowledge.¡±


    <hr>


    Lilith leaned against the wall of the library while humming to herself. It was a song that her mother had always sung to her when she was little. The lyrics were long forgotten, but the tune of the melody had always stuck with her. It was haunting yet also strangely beautiful.


    Lilith hadn¡¯t just stayed outside out of convenience. Libraries made her feel weird. Being in any important building outside of a mission made her feel uncomfortable. The feeling of not belonging, of not being welcome, always permeated the air. Maybe it would have been more interesting inside but she was comfortable just staying outside and waiting. The walls shielded her from any onlookers, so the only way to spot her was from a rooftop. And honestly, who the hell would be on a rooftop at this time of day?


    Suddenly, a figure hit the ground in front of her. Lilith¡¯s throwing knife materialised in her hand and would have gone straight into the would-be rogue¡¯s head if she hadn¡¯t noticed the guild emblem at the last second. The figure rose and pulled their hood down, revealing the frowning face of the junior assassin, Alwyn. Lilith dropped her hand but kept the knife drawn


    ¡°What are you doing in my sector, Lilith?¡± asked Alwyn. His face was as open as a book, making it obvious that he wasn¡¯t happy.


    ¡°First of all, it¡¯s senior assassin Lilith to you,¡± she snapped back. Internally, her thoughts were racing. The assignment of capturing Vindict had been so important that every assassin, regardless of rank, had been given a section of the city to oversee.


    Lilith was aware that this part was under Alwyn''s jurisdiction, which was actually the reason why she had risked coming here with Vindict. If she had to rank everyone in the guild by how good of an assassin they were, Alwyn would be somewhere near the bottom of the list. He had only recently joined the Desert Vipers and his work ethic left something to be desired. Lilith ignored the irony of her pointing this out.


    The fact that he had been attentive enough to spot her showed that she had underestimated him. Which begged the question, how much had he seen?


    With gritted teeth, he performed a stiff bow. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my disrespect. I would only like to know why you have left your sector, senior assassin Lilith? The Guild Master was quite clear about our assignment.¡± He didn''t mention Vindict, which hopefully meant that he hadn¡¯t seen him. She could talk her way out of this situation.


    ¡°What I am doing here is none of your business,¡± Lilith stated arrogantly. ¡°Nonetheless, it is impressive that you spotted me. To ease your mind, I am on a direct mission from the Guild Master. My sector is currently covered by someone else.¡± This answer showed the rank disparity between them, while still stroking his ego and giving him peace of mind.


    It certainly seemed to mollify him, as his posture relaxed and he took on a more casual stance. His eyes drifted towards the door behind her. ¡°A mission involving the library?¡± Alwyn questioned. Lilith¡¯s glare told him he wasn''t going to get any more answers out of her. ¡°I will have to speak with the Guild Master about this. It''s not that I¡¯m doubting you, senior assassin, I just want to be sure.¡±


    Lilith raised an eyebrow. ¡°Sure, go right ahead. Why don¡¯t you also tell him that you don¡¯t respect your seniors and question his leadership?¡±


    Alwyn bristled at her comment and turned to leave. With a quick jump and grab, he climbed over the wall and disappeared into the night. Lilith waited a couple of seconds before scanning the rooftops for more onlookers. Then, just to be on the safe side, she also climbed over the wall to do a perimeter check. When that turned up nothing, she was finally certain that the other assassin had really left. Internally she was cursing. She had become too complacent during her time in Seran and this could have been the end for her. Only luck had saved her from being revealed as a guild traitor.


    She could still get into trouble if Alwyn reported her to the Guild Master, but the damage caused by that would be manageable. It would show that she wasn¡¯t taking her job seriously, which wasn¡¯t a surprise to anyone. Lilith glanced at the door. Still, it would probably be better if they left as soon as possible.


    <hr>


    ¡°The God of Knowledge is often alluded to in ancient texts about humanity. He is mostly associated with the Traitor King, another prominent figure regarding humanity from that era. However, just like the Traitor King, after the Great Renewal mentions of him became less frequent until he faded into obscurity, not even leaving his name behind. We do not know what happened during the Great Renewal but it marked the end of worship for multiple gods.


    The depiction of the God of Knowledge changes depending on what scripture one reads but he is generally shown in a male human form. Various mutations sometimes appear on his body, for example, extra arms or eyes. Symbols that are often associated with him are books and eyes. Other less common symbols are a brain, a scalpel, and a syringe.


    There does not seem to have been an organisation with the specific focus of worshiping him. However, there are several mentions of a group called Fili Ocul, which roughly translates to Children of Vision or Children of the Eye. Records of them stopped after the Great Renewal. This group did not appear to directly worship the God of Knowledge but still lived according to his ideology. Their emblem consisted of a bleeding eye and-¡°


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    I closed the book. A bleeding eye¡­ That couldn¡¯t be a coincidence. The author stated that there was no mention of Fili Ocul in any documents after the Great Renewal, which seemed to have happened thousands of years ago. He speculated that after the events of the Great Renewal the organisation dispersed, leaving no foundation for the worship of the god.


    But I knew better. Somehow the Children of the Eye, or whatever other name they had, were still around, buying children and performing experiments on them. Horrible experiments if my visions and Sarvad were to be believed.


    This was another book I was definitely taking. The inside of my cloak already felt heavy from the other two books. Maybe that was a sign to stop and leave. But no, there was still so much information to find! So much knowledge- I cut myself off. The word ¡®knowledge¡¯ wasn¡¯t so pleasant anymore. I decided to take a quick peek at the other sections before leaving.


    ¡°Stories of Old.¡± I sighed as I stood before the last section of the library. In the end, I hadn¡¯t found anything else that had piqued my interest. This section was probably not for me. Why would I need stories from ancient times when I didn¡¯t know anything about current times? I turned to leave but stopped when a tingling swept through my scaled arm. A quick look showed that it was shaking. Was the demon rearing its head again?¡±


    ¡°Negative,¡± answered Adam to my question. ¡°No attempts have been made to breach mental defences.¡± That was strange.


    I took a step away from the section and the tingling lessened. A step closer strengthened it. Was the demon trying to show me something? When I first encountered the being in the mindscape, it seemed like a wild animal. Recent events had made me begun to question this. The not-angel had looked like it could understand me. Even Noctus, a literal god, had directly talked to it. How smart was a demon?


    I had to come to terms with the fact that I knew nothing about it or demons in general. Nothing I had found discussed demons. There were several mentions of them but those usually just said that they were pure evil. Maybe that was true but I had the feeling that the author never actually met a demon.


    Adam¡¯s presence severely lessened my fear of the demon taking over, which meant that this could be an opportunity to learn more about it. From my experiences, it seemed like the demon could only affect the physical world through me, so what was the risk in listening to my claw for once?


    I stepped in between the bookcases and lifted my arm. When I pointed it to the left the tingling got stronger. Moving one talon across the spines of the books I tried to get a read on what the demon was trying to tell me. My talon moved up and down until it finally stopped on one book. It felt like hundreds of bugs were crawling up my arm. Pulling it out showed that it was fairly thin in comparison to other books I had seen. It was also old if the yellow stains were any indication. Unlike the other ones I had taken, this one wasn¡¯t marked.


    ¡°Tales of Heroes and Demons¡± I read the title out loud. Most books only had their title on the cover but this one had an actual picture. It showed a sword-wielding human, valiantly facing a hoard of wild-looking black-scaled creatures. The aforementioned hero and demons I presumed. Why was my demon trying to show me this? The book certainly looked like it contained demons but I doubted that they were shown as anything other than monsters. ¡°Found anything interesting?¡± I flinched at Lilith¡¯s sudden voice. She was standing right behind me, looking over my shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t scare me like that! Sneaking up behind someone shouldn¡¯t be allowed, especially for a blessed of Noctus.¡± She chuckled and motioned towards the book. ¡°Are you interested in this book? Didn¡¯t pick you for someone who liked the classical hero versus evil stories.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just browsing,¡± I offhandedly answered. ¡°What about you, what stories do you like?¡±


    Lilith dramatically sighed, ¡°Alas, I have not the time to read for my own entertainment.¡±


    ¡°What do you do instead? From how you act I didn¡¯t think that you are invested in the work you do for the Desert Vipers. But anyway, then what do you imagine is your favourite type of story?¡± I was genuinely curious about getting to know my new companion more but it seemed like this question flustered her. ¡°Well, eh, you know, the usual?¡±


    ¡°What is the usual for humans?¡± Lilith stared at me for a moment before averting her eyes. ¡°So, there is this¡­ physical act between people that- you know what?¡± She interrupted herself. ¡°You will find out about it when you¡¯re older. Right now we have something else to deal with.¡± I was annoyed at her non-answer but let it slide. For now.


    Lilith told me what happened outside of the library and we quickly made our way downstairs. ¡°Be honest, in how much trouble are we?¡± I asked as we moved from the second to the first floor. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we are fine!¡± Lilith answered while sliding backward down the rails. I was a bit jealous of her manoeuvrability which was denied to me because of my claw.


    ¡°The guild master will just rebuke me a bit and then never bring it up again. Trust me, I am way too important for him to do anything shad- uf.¡± Talking while sliding apparently wasn¡¯t the smartest idea, something that her butt could now attest to. Luckily, she was fine and just stood back up with a laugh. We reached the first floor and jogged towards the worker''s entrance.


    ¡°That¡¯s nice to hear. Do you-¡° Only my reflexes saved me from colliding with the human that had suddenly appeared in the doorway. Instead, I slid to a stop mere nose-lengths in front of him. He stared at me with wide eyes and I stared back. On his shirt there was a name tag identifying him as ¡°Bob¡±, the same employee that I had seen sleeping in the work room. He was the first to break the silence.


    ¡°Am¡­ am I sleeping?¡± From his drowsy voice, that possibility wasn¡¯t so farfetched. ¡°No, but you look like you deserve more sleep,¡± I answered honestly. ¡°Me and my friend here were just about to leave and it¡¯s still dark outside, so you could probably catch a couple hours of good rest.¡± Bob numbly stared at me. ¡°You know, that doesn¡¯t sound too bad,¡± he finally muttered. ¡°I don¡¯t get paid enough to deal with this shit.¡±


    It was obvious that he barely had the energy to stand, so I threw his arm over my shoulder to support him. Lilith wordlessly did the same with his other arm and together we moved him to a rest area that was in the back of the library. We wordlessly left the sleeping Bob to recover and only spoke again once we entered the work room.


    ¡°That was¡­ just wow,¡± Lilith stated. ¡°How did you do that?¡± I cluelessly looked at her. ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°That! I mean, I was so close to simply knocking the guy unconscious but then you stepped in and just handled it like a pro!¡± Lilith, for some unknown reason, seemed baffled, which confused me even more. ¡°Ok, so first off, knocking him unconscious would have been extremely rude. He was just there to do his job. Secondly, what do you mean by problem? The guy was just tired so I gave him some advice, like any nice person should do. What¡¯s so impressive?¡± She was silent for a moment before muttering under her breath, ¡°You¡¯re better than I thought.¡±


    When we reached the door, Lilith went first to check that we were still alone. When she was sure that there were no hidden onlookers, she motioned for me to follow. A quick climb later and we were back on the street. The return trip went surprisingly smoothly, since most people had already dispersed. When we made it back to the hideout without any incident, we collectively breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Well, that went better than expected,¡± Lilith proclaimed, as we entered the empty hideout. She followed this up by loudly yawning. ¡°Time for me to get some shuteye. The Desert Vipers have a meeting tomorrow morning. Wish I could just skip it but my status does have its limits.¡± I motioned for her to lie down. Emptying my pockets, I placed the three books I had taken on the table. ¡°Good night. If it doesn¡¯t bother you, I will read a bit before going to sleep.¡± Lilith gave me a thumbs-up before throwing herself onto my makeshift hay bed.


    <hr>


    Unbeknownst to us, a set of eyes had watched us enter the hideout. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be dammed,¡± muttered Amarum as he retreated from the rooftop edge. He dusted himself off and turned to Alwyn, who was obediently waiting for him on the other side. ¡°It was good of you to inform me,¡± commended the Guild Elder. His underling respectfully bowed. ¡°I immediately knew that there was something off about the wench.¡±


    Amarum nodded along. He had disliked Lilith from the moment she had appeared. She was a lazy assassin who had been temporarily thrown out of Noctus¡¯ Dream for disobeying orders. Her attitude had immediately rubbed him the wrong way and the treatment that the Guild Master gave her also didn¡¯t help. She acted like she was better than them, something that Guild Master Wane didn¡¯t dispute. He even invited her to guild meetings, showing to the entire guild that he put her equal to its best members.


    Surprisingly, there was more behind Lilith¡¯s lazy facade. ¡°What are your commands?¡± Alwyn excitedly asked. Lilith wasn¡¯t very popular amongst the other guild members, since all hoped to take her down a peg.


    ¡°First, we need to report this to the Guild Master.¡± As much as Amarum wanted to take down Lilith on his own, he knew that a Shadow Hand was too far out of his league. Especially, if she was supported by other members of her order. They had only seen two but who knows how many members were in Seran. He had thought of Lilith as nothing more than an entitled brat. Never in his dreams had he expected her to be a front for Noctus¡¯ Dream to infiltrate the Desert Viper¡¯s territory.

 An Assassin Death

    Hiding in the trash sucked. An obvious revelation, some might say, but Pecta was currently learning this the hard way. The sounds of the Flow Celebration drifted faintly through the alley. Laughter, music, and singing. It wasn''t pleasant to think of the joy that other people were experiencing, while he was squatting between rotting food and literal shit.


    For the hundredth time, he cursed his willingness to help others. That willingness was the reason for his current suffering. Since Vindict couldn¡¯t leave Seran for the foreseeable future, Pecta had decided to gather information about his companion¡¯s predicament. This had led him into the twisted world of Seran¡¯s underbelly.


    At first glance, it seemed simple. Most criminals weren¡¯t organised and stuck to petty crime. No big drug deals, no slave trade, or anything like that. The Desert Vipers were an outlier, circling above the rest like birds of prey, picking off individuals who had incurred the wrath of someone with a lot of money. Or, in other words, nobles. Easy to understand, right?


    Seran was tame compared to other cities Pecta had lived in. It probably helped that none of the big political players had a finger in the city. If the Creator¡¯s Church or Noctus¡¯ Dream were here, it would most likely result in a daily bloodbath.


    Well, that simple balance changed a few years ago. As one terrified thief had put it, people started disappearing. Nobody important, just a few hobos and prostitutes, individuals who weren¡¯t missed. People chalked it up to simple coincidence, but over time it became clear that something strange was happening. Soon, people turned to the city guard and the Desert Vipers for help, but they were unusually dismissive of it. In the end, nothing was done about it and the disappearances continued.


    When Pecta first heard about it, he had two possible explanations, both of equally bad. Either a monster or a cult. Sudden disappearances? It sounded a lot like a monster was regularly feeding or a cult was collecting its weekly quota of human sacrifices. There were rumours and people claiming to have seen something, but the stories varied wildly and came from less than reputable sources.


    Pecta had asked Lilith about them, but she had just shrugged and said that she had no idea what he was talking about. He wasn¡¯t sure if these disappearances had anything to do with Vindict, but they were the only lead that he had. From what he had gathered, there was no known pattern to these cases, other than the fact that they usually happened no more than a week apart.


    So he had spent the last couple of days staking out locations that were solitary and frequented by the homeless. Was it cruel to use them as bait? In Pecta¡¯s opinion, no. Whether he was there or not when they disappeared, it wouldn¡¯t change anything. However, there was a chance that he could find out who or what was making them disappear and put a stop to it. Thus far, he had had no luck.


    Sighing, he shifted in the garbage. Today had been a very promising day. With all eyes on the festival, it would have been easy to kidnap a few dregs of society without anyone noticing. But apparently, that wasn¡¯t going to happen, because the festival would end soon.


    Suddenly, a muffled scream filled the air, ending as abruptly as it had begun. Perhaps the kidnapper had decided to strike. Pecta rose quickly and hurried quietly towards the source of the sound. When he reached a corner, he carefully peeked around it.


    Two figures were standing over the body of a beggar, with a thin needle protruding from his neck.


    They were dressed like ordinary citizens, but Pecta could tell from their bulky frames that armour was hidden beneath the clothes. One of them quickly looked up and down the alley before turning to her partner. ¡°Why the hell did you let him see you?!¡± she hissed at him. The other figure shrugged. ¡°Just relax, nobody saw us. And even if someone did, what are they gonna do? Now-¡° He removed something that looked like a carpet from his bag. ¡°Stop wasting time and help me roll him up. You know that the Facility Lord hates it when the shipment comes late.¡±


    The woman grumbled, but helped her partner wrap up the beggar''s body. She kneeled down and fiddled with something until suddenly a blue glow emanated from the carpet. When it stopped, the body was gone. Or rather, Pecta couldn¡¯t see it anymore. His eyes just glanced over the spot where it had been. Only the fact that he had seen it, kept him from thinking that his imagination was playing tricks on him.


    He swallowed. That certainly hadn¡¯t looked like the work of a Chosen. More like magic. Pecta wanted to curse and rejoice at the same time. First the mage in the desert and now this. That could not be a coincidence. One mage was rare enough, but two signified something bigger. Something dangerous.


    At least he could cross a demonic cult from the list of suspects. The magic they used differed from the one he had seen here. Although, Pecta only had experience with one such cult, so the possibility was still on the table.


    Focusing on the two figures again, they picked up the hidden body and left. They moved quickly through the winding alleys of Seran, with Pecta following. He wasn¡¯t on Lilith¡¯s level, but his upbringing in Wirmaw had taught him to move unseen.


    Sometimes their path would be crossed by other people. Poor citizens going about their business, homeless people sleeping by the side of alleyways, and the occasional thug. None of them even glanced at the body, their eyes automatically diverted by whatever spell had been cast upon it. One unfortunate thug tried to rob them. The confrontation ended in a broken neck and a further confirmation that these people were not to be trifled with.


    They finally excited into a more crowded street, somewhere in the richer part of town. The body wasn¡¯t noticed, but their clothes and the way they carried themselves were out of place, which led to them being stopped by a patrol. The leading figure pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and showed it to the guards. Pecta couldn¡¯t keep the shock from his face when the guards saluted and continued on their way.


    The man put it back in his pocket, but not before Pecta caught a glimpse of it. A large chunk of the paper was covered with a mark consisting of a lizard''s head against a yellow background, with a golden crown on its head. The crest of the City Lord. Pecta stopped himself from gulping again. This was getting worse and worse. Still, he managed to remain undetected and continued to follow them. The night was beginning to turn to day, which meant that the streets would soon get crowded. As the two figures approached the palace, he had to stop out of fear of being discovered. There were just too many guards.


    Instead of going through the main entrance, the kidnappers moved around the palace, frequently having to show the guards their pass. Nevertheless, they made it through and disappeared around a corner. Pecta debated whether or not to follow them, but decided it was too risky. As he turned to leave, he pondered what it all meant.


    These heretics seemed to be working under the City Lord, regularly kidnapping those who would not be missed. Pecta clenched his fist in anger and reached for his neckless of Persa. He didn¡¯t know why, but it didn¡¯t matter. Preying on the weak and helpless - a despicable act, only done by vile monsters and nobles.


    But how did a City Lord from a backwater city in the Scorching Barrens have control over at least two mages? Pecta doubted that an ordinary City Lord had that much influence, which meant that something bigger was at play. Did they work for Zalfanum, trying to undermine the Kingdom of Sanktrum? Or maybe the Empire? And what did Vindict have to do with any of this? Or was this even related to him? Hurrying back towards the hideout, Pecta had more questions than answers.


    <hr>


    ¡°Are you certain of this?¡± Wane asked for the second time. Amarum barely managed to suppress his eye roll. ¡°Yes, Guild Master, I clearly saw Lilith with another member of Noctus¡¯ Dream. They both had the signature bandages.¡± Wane frowned, and he could see that the other Guild Elder was doing the same.


    ¡°Noctus¡¯ Dream is trying to push us out and cease control of Seran,¡± Lyn stated. An obvious conclusion. Amarum nodded. ¡°Exactly. Why else would they hide their presence from us and have a spy in our guild?¡± He looked Wane directly in the eye, not even hiding the small smirk on his lips. ¡°Let¡¯s face it, sending a disgraced member of their organisation as punishment was just a ruse. A ruse that we fell for.¡±


    It was obvious that the ¡®we¡¯ was just a formality. Everyone knew that what Amarum actually meant was that the Guild Master had screwed up. Wane turned his back on his subordinates and gazed out the window. The night was still dark, and the sun would not rise for another couple hours.


    It had been his decision to accept Lilith as a member of the Desert Vipers. Wane had grown up in the city of Wirmaw, where he had made a connection with someone from a cell of Noctus¡¯ Dream. When Wane moved to Seran, they kept in touch. Over the years, this person rose through the ranks to become the leader of his local cell. The Guild Master wouldn¡¯t consider them friends, but they were good acquaintances.


    So, when a letter arrived, asking him to look after a member of Noctus¡¯ Dream who had been temporarily expelled, he agreed. Noctus¡¯ Dream assassins were notoriously skilled, and he had thought that having one under his command wouldn¡¯t hurt. What he had gotten had been¡­ alright.


    Lilith was disrespectful, lazy, and a troublemaker, something that he wouldn¡¯t normally tolerate. But overall, she was competent. Very competent. She completed every job flawlessly, even if she was very selective about what work she would take on. The revelation that she was a spy came as a surprise and, even worse, undermined his authority.


    He thought of his associate in Wirmaw. Would he have sent an assassin to take control of Seran? Absolutely. He and Wane understood each other well, which meant that they were both aware of their ruthlessness. And as much as Wane disliked Amarum, he knew that the assassin wouldn¡¯t lie about what he saw. This left him in a conundrum.


    Openly declaring war on one of the most powerful assassin groups in Sanktrum by raiding their lair wasn¡¯t a good idea. Neither was letting them fester. He already had his hands full with the whole mission to capture that monster and-. An idea began to form. Why not solve one problem with another?


    He turned back to his subordinates with a bright smile on his face. ¡°This revelation is unfortunate, but don¡¯t worry. I have long since suspected that Lilith is a traitor and have prepared appropriate countermeasures.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°They want what?!¡± Eleura barely managed to contain her anger. Not because of the request, but because her assistant had woken her in the middle of the night. ¡°The hired assassins want to change the contract for the job,¡± the assistant spoke in a bored tone, as if she had not just disturbed her boss¡¯s sleep.


    ¡°They want to lower the payment in exchange for taking care of one of their problems.¡± Eleura scratched her scales in irritation. ¡°Those damn-.¡± The Administrator cut herself off before she could finish her outburst. These assassins had proven to be a massive disappointment. They were no closer to finding the experiment than when they had started their search. She had even considered terminating their contract, but in the end decided to keep them searching. The Overseers were starting to breathe down her neck and she needed all the help she could find.


    She sighed and waved her assistant away. ¡°Have Entar deal with them. He will handle it.¡± As long as it wasn¡¯t Werth or any of his cronies, she didn¡¯t care. Speaking of Werth, she still had to find a way to make him pay.


    With that out of the way, Eleura raised an eyebrow at her assistant. ¡°Was that all, or is there anything else that made you decide to wake me up?¡± Her underling looked down at the clipboard in her hand. ¡°The City Lord has also expressed his desire to meet with you and his displeasure with the way things are going.¡±


    The dryam rolled her eyes dismissively and shrugged. ¡°That old fart will accept the way that things are going one way or another.¡± What else could he do, call the Creator¡¯s Church? That would require him to explain why he had been working with the institution for over a year. No, sooner or later the City Lord would just shut up and keep taking the money that they paid him. Her assistant watched her go before shrugging and going to find the Head Site Enforcer.


    <hr>


    When I woke up, I found myself slumped over the table with an open book underneath me. It seemed like I had fallen asleep while reading. Very unusual, considering my lack of need for it. A clearing of the throat made me jump and look around wildly. Pecta was seated across from me with a very unamused expression. ¡°Ah, hello!¡± I exclaimed while composing myself. ¡°How was your investigation?¡±


    My companion raised an eyebrow. ¡°Good, good, I made quite a bit of progress in figuring things out. And you, how was your nightly excursion?¡± He looked at my clothes and the books on the table. A little embarrassed, I realised that I hadn¡¯t bothered to change and was still wearing my getup from last night. ¡°Well-¡±


    ¡°Was it Lilith¡¯s idea?¡± Pecta interrupted me. His tone was calm, but Sense State showed a different story. He was very upset.


    ¡°I- yes, no,¡± I mumbled indecisively. While it had been her idea, I had agreed to it, so both of us were to blame. A glance around the room showed that my partner-in-crime had already left, probably before Pecta¡¯s arrival. Avoiding eye contact, I explained to him what had happened last night and received a frustrated sigh in return.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    He crossed his arms before putting them back on the table and tapping rhythmically with his finger. ¡°Do you realise how stupid that was?¡± I tried to answer, but he mercilessly interrupted me. ¡°You''ve done some risky shit since we met, like trusting a Shadow Hand, or talking to a god, but this takes the cake. Do you know why?¡± He didn¡¯t wait for me to answer. ¡°Because it was avoidable. The other two things happened by circumstance, and I can¡¯t really blame you for them, but in this case, I can definitely do so. By Persa''s grace, you acted recklessly!¡± Pecta sighed and leaned back, seemingly trying to calm himself.


    At his pause I interjected. ¡°I know it was reckless, but being locked in this room drove me crazy! Do you know what it feels like to spend so much time alone because your companions don¡¯t have time for you!?¡±


    Slowly my guilt turned to anger and all my thoughts came pouring out. ¡°Do you know the feeling of being unable to control your fate? I spend hours thinking about you being caught, about the assassins coming to hurt us, and about the people hunting me. Do you know how it feels to spend so many hours in uncertainty of what will become of you? Of the events unfolding outside that you have no idea about and much less control over?!¡±


    My fury seemed to stoke Pecta¡¯s anger as he clenched his hand into a fist and slammed it against the table. ¡°Oh, I am more than familiar with that feeling,¡± he hissed bitterly. ¡°But that does not give you the right to endanger us all! I know how uncomfortable it is to be forced to stay here, but you need to think about the consequences of your actions. What if someone saw you? What if they followed you right back to this hideout?¡±


    ¡°Of course nobody saw us!¡± I snapped back. ¡°Lilith was with me, and if Shadow Hands are really as good as you claim they are, then there shouldn¡¯t be a problem!¡± Although, someone from the Desert Vipers had seen Lilith and there was the possibility that- no, better stop thinking about that. I trusted Lilith to spot someone whom she called a junior assassin. Especially, since she had been put on high alert by him unexpectedly seeing her. Pecta wasn¡¯t satisfied with this explanation


    ¡°Everyone makes mistakes, and this one could end costly. I spend so much time gathering information and trying to find a way to help you, but your recklessness could ruin it all!¡±


    I scoffed, ¡°Oh please, you frolic outside with no worry in the world while I have to stay holed up in this dark room.¡±


    Pecta wound up for a retort but stopped himself. With a huff he leaned back in his chair to angrily avoid eye contact. Under his breath he muttered, ¡°Effort never gets appreciated.¡± I ignored him and mirrored his posture to properly convey my displeasure. Yes, I admit that the nightly excursion had been a bit risky, but Lilith and I had taken many precautions to ensure our safety. But no, all Pecta could talk about was how stupid we had been. It had been totally worth it! He treated me like a child, incapable of making my own decisions. I was not a child and treating me like- wait, how old am I? Okay, technically I was as old as an infant, but that didn¡¯t mean I was one. I quickly glanced at Pecta, but looked away when he noticed. Unable to reach a compromise, we both stirred in silence.


    <hr>


    Lilith knew as soon as she entered the guild hall that something was up. Maybe it was the fact that it was unusually quiet. Perhaps it was the expression on the face of the assassin who opened the door. In any case, she sensed that something was wrong, but couldn¡¯t pinpoint the change.


    With a frown, she walked up the stairs to the Guild Master¡¯s office. Apart from the assassin who opened the door, the guild hall was strangely empty. Sure,there usually wasn¡¯t much going on this early in the morning, but one could generally expect the presence of one or two other members. Lilith didn¡¯t show her concern outwardly, but inside she felt a nagging sense of wrongness.


    She was tempted to write it off as paranoia, since the chances of her being attacked in the guild hall were slim to none. But her time in Noctus¡¯ Dream had taught her to trust her instincts, and those were screaming to stay on guard. Finally, she stood in front of the Guild Master¡¯s office and, with a heavy heart, knocked.


    ¡®Wait, why am I knocking?¡¯ Suddenly, remembering who she was, she opened the door and simply barged in. The strange feeling was getting to her more than she realised, if it was affecting her usual behaviour this much.


    Once inside, she quickly scanned the room. Unlike last time, Guild Master Wane was the only member sitting in a chair. Amarum and Lyn were standing in different parts of the room and focused on her as soon as she entered the office. Their posture wasn¡¯t overly aggressive, but it wasn¡¯t relaxed either.


    What really caught her attention was the man sitting across from Wane. Lilith immediately pegged him as a fighter. His muscular physique, the way he held himself, and the sleek blade at his waist all spoke of someone dangerous. She would have guessed that he was part of the city guard, were it not for his civilian clothes.


    Nonetheless, she suspected that he wasn¡¯t an ordinary civilian. The situation was just getting weirder and weirder. ¡°Ah, Lilith, good to see you,¡± Wane announced, gesturing to the seat next to the strange man. When she silently refused to sit down he continued, ¡°We have a lot to talk about in this meeting.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­,¡± Lilith drawled and pointed to the fighter. ¡°And who is that guy?¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯ve noticed our guest,¡± the Guild Master intoned. ¡°This fine gentleman is-¡° ¡°about to leave,¡± the man interrupted him. His blatant disrespect almost made Lilith smile. Despite this Wane remained positive. ¡°Ah, Mr Entar, please stay for a couple more seconds. This meeting will only take a moment and its contents will surely interest you.¡±


    The man sneered and stood up to leave. ¡°I doubt that,¡± he stated. ¡°There is nothing else to discuss. An extermination force has already been sent to remove the problem plaguing you. In exchange, my superior expects some results. A cruel grin flashed across his face. ¡°Trust me, you don¡¯t want to see her angry.¡±


    Wane sighed and nonchalantly waved his hand in Lyn¡¯s direction. ¡°Be that as it may, there still remains a pest that needs¡­ taking care of.¡±


    In the corner of her eye, Lilith detected movement and it was only her wariness and lightning-quick reflexes that saved her. Instead of embedding itself into her neck, the throwing knife only graced her shoulder, leaving behind a burning cut. Lilith hissed but didn¡¯t let the pain distract her.


    She threw herself backward, managing to dodge a sword swing from Amarum, and came up with her daggers drawn. Amarum quickly positioned himself to face her while Lyn started flanking her. Wane just casually sat behind his desk and let events unfold.


    Lilith wanted to scream at her fellow guild members but someone managed to precede her.¡°What is the meaning of this?!¡± The strange man had stood up and was now clutching the grip of his sword. Lilith noted that a red swirl was forming around the handle. ¡®Magic¡¯, she thought before having to dodge another throwing knife. Wane soothingly raised his hands and indicated for the man to sit back down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr Entar. We are just sorting out some internal matters. This will only take a moment.¡± When it became clear that the man wouldn¡¯t interfere he turned back to Lilith. ¡°You know, I¡¯m very disappointed in you. When you came to me for help, I accepted you. I made you into a member of the Desert Vipers and treated you like a daughter. And how did you repay me?¡± He suddenly slammed his hand onto the table, making all three of them jump.


    ¡°You betrayed us, sold us out to your little cult. Do you have anything to say for yourself?¡± Despite these perilous circumstances, Lilith raised an eyebrow. ¡°Yeah, I have a lot to say for myself. First off, are you high?¡± A simple tilt of her head made the throwing knife pass by her and imbed itself into the wall. ¡°Is this all a game to you, traitor?!¡± Lyn seethed. Apparently, Lilith had struck a nerve with that.


    ¡°No, not at all,¡± Lilith denied. ¡°I¡¯m genuinely concerned for our Guild Master¡¯s wellbeing, since, as far as I know, I haven¡¯t done anything traitorous or joined a cult.¡± The Guild Elder growled but managed to stop herself from throwing another knife. Seriously, how many knives did that girl have?


    Despite her quipping, Lilith wasn¡¯t half as confident as she appeared to be. She was trapped in a room with three highly competent assassins, who had planned to put her in this position. The most obvious exit seemed to be the door, however, Lilith was 100% sure that Wane had contingencies for that. It wouldn¡¯t surprise her if the rest of the guild was standing behind it, just waiting to get the drop on her. She had found herself in somewhat of an inescapable situation, without even knowing how she had gotten there.


    Luckily, Amarum¡¯s prideful self gave her the answer. ¡°Did you really think you were smart enough to surprise us? I saw you sneaking around with another one of you shadow freaks. Trying to overthrow the Desert Vipers, are we now? I always knew that there was something wrong with you.¡± He flashed her an obnoxious smile. ¡°Well, the people who gave us the assignment to capture that monster agreed to also do a little exterminating at your hideout. You can say goodbye to your fellow cultist!¡±


    Unbeknownst to him, Wane was glaring at the Guild Elder. He was smart enough to realise that giving away important information because of one''s ego was stupid but Amarum wasn¡¯t like that. With his blabbering Lilith managed to piece together what had happened. Somehow, he had seen her and Vindict together and assumed that he was a member of Noctus¡¯ Dream. A pretty normal assumption considering the way he had been clothed during the nightly raid. She didn¡¯t know how he had stumbled upon them but it made sense that she hadn¡¯t seen him. For all his stupidity and ego, he was still a competent assassin.


    She glanced at this Mr. Entar, who had sat back down with crossed arms. He obviously wasn¡¯t happy with being involved in the business of assassins but let it slide. If what she had heard was correct, he was working for this mysterious woman who hired the Desert Vipers to capture Vindict. Could she use this somehow? Finally, the guild master had enough of Amarum¡¯s talking and stepped in. He loudly cleared his throat and sighed. ¡°I am disappointed in you, Lilith. How could you betray this family that we had?¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up old man,¡± she retorted. ¡°We aren¡¯t a family, so stop pretending like we are one. The Desert Vipers are just a collection of people who are broke and only good at killing.¡± At this Wane regretfully shook his head. ¡°It is sad that you think that. Oh well, time to finish this part of our history.¡± Amarum raised his blade and started to slowly approach her, while Lyn readied two throwing knives.


    This was looking increasingly bad. Lilith would die here, and both of her charges would be killed because of a simple misunderstanding. Granted, if the assassins truly knew who she had been with that night, the results would probably be similar. Unless¡­ a desperate idea took shape in her head. Just when Amarum was about to reach striking distance Lilith called out,


    ¡°What you saw was wrong. I wasn¡¯t with another member of Noctus¡¯ Dream.¡± She focused on Entar who was staring listlessly at the drama that was currently unfolding. Her next words shook him out of it, ¡°No, I was with Vindict, the non-human you people are looking for.¡± This woke him from his stupor and he immediately stood up to intently focused on her. The other two assassins also hesitated, unsure of what to do. Wane noticed this change and was quick to try and calm things down.


    ¡°She is lying,¡± was his immediate response. Still, Lilith could see that he hadn¡¯t expected this development. From how he usually operated, Lilith assumed that he had done this exchange in front of their client to show that the Desert Vipers were ruthless and competent. However, he hadn¡¯t expected her to take advantage of this.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that you know a lot about lying Wane, but no, this one isn¡¯t a lie,¡± she fired back before looking straight at Entar. ¡°I have spent the last week with Vindict, hiding him from the Desert Vipers. If I die here then you¡¯re never getting him.¡± Behind Entar¡¯s back the Guild Master rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t believe her. She is just trying to save her own skin and grasping at straws. She-¡° ¡°Prove it,¡± the killer interrupted Wane, still staring at Lilith. She almost sighed in relief. This was going better than expected. A part of her had thought that he would just outright dismiss her instead of hearing her out. Of course, she didn¡¯t plan to rat out her companions. What kind of Chosen of Noctus would she be if she did that? Wait, lies and betrayal were kind of his shtick. Didn¡¯t that mean¡­ no, whatever. Noctus had commanded her to keep Vindict safe and she would be dammed if she didn¡¯t. Quite literally. Although, she couldn¡¯t say that she was just doing it for her god. Over the last couple days, she had grown fond of the innocent Vindict. Even Pecta was alright once you squinted your eyes hard enough.


    Not revealing her emotions, Lilith took a deep breath and rattled off things that she had learned about Vindict¡¯s past. ¡°He isn¡¯t a non-human, but rather a mixture of a human and a monster. His left arm is the only thing monstrous about him. This all happened in the middle of the desert, roughly two weeks ago. Since then he made his way to Seran with a brief bandit encounter in between. A bandit encounter involving a mage of all things.¡± She pointedly looked at the magic blade on the man¡¯s waist.


    Lilith could see that her words were starting to affect him. Wane could also see that and was starting to panic. ¡°Don¡¯t believe her. She is just making this up,¡± he pleaded with Entar but the man wasn¡¯t listening. When he spoke it was only directed at Lilith, ¡°Where is the subject?¡± She couldn¡¯t help the smile on her face, despite the direness of the situation. ¡°I guess you¡¯ll never find out, since I¡¯m about to die. Oh, well. How tragic.¡±


    The man grunted, seemingly deep in thought. Then a smug grin spread across his face. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to tell me. Instead, let me guess: Is the subject at your hideout? The same hideout that my people are currently attacking?¡±


    Shit. Just when things were starting to look better it all went sideways. She wanted to deny it but the man didn¡¯t listen and instead addressed Wane, ¡°It would be a lie to say that it was fun working with you people but in the end, it was more helpful than expected.¡±


    He cleared his throat and intoned, ¡°As Head Site Enforcer, I hereby void the contract between us and the Desert Vipers. Good day.¡± The man looked like he was about to leave but the guild master wasn¡¯t having any of this. He sprung up and slammed both hands against the table.¡±You can¡¯t do this!¡± He exclaimed. ¡°We had a deal!¡±


    The Head Site Enforcer calmly answered, ¡°Yes we had. However, I don¡¯t see a captured monster in front of me. You failed and failures don¡¯t deserve any rewards. Our cooperation is over.¡± Wane gnashed his teeth at this insult and reached beneath the table. ¡°Oh, but I don¡¯t think so. Now you better sit back down or else¡­¡± The man raised an eyebrow at the thinly veiled threat. ¡°Or else what?¡±


    In one smooth motion he pulled out his sword, which went up in flames. Everyone in the room immediately distanced themselves from the heat. Lyn started to focus on the more pressing threat, while Amarum was unsure of how to position himself so that he wouldn¡¯t be attacked from behind. The tension in the office was palpable and only required the slightest commotion to explode.


    The Guild Master raised his hands as if to placate everyone but Lilith didn¡¯t let him. She knew that this was her only chance to escape. With a dash, the Blessed rushed towards Lyn, while simultaneously activating Shadow Meld to make it harder to hit her. The motion acted like the spark that ignited the room.


    Entar swung his flaming sword in an arc, trying to bisect the Guild Master, who managed to dodge by throwing himself to the ground. Simultaneously, Amarum tried to catch Lilith with his blade but missed due to her blessing. Lyn barely managed to raise her throwing knives before Lilith barrelled into her. Her first dagger was parried but the second one found its mark and embedded itself into the assassin¡¯s shoulder. Not wasting any time, Lilith pushed her opponent to the ground and quickly circled around Entar.


    She hissed when Amarum managed to land a hit on her arm but didn¡¯t stop moving. The guild master saw her and turned to protect himself but that distraction cost him his life. The flaming sword speared him cleanly through the shoulder, with the tip coming out the other side. His clothing lit ablaze and the disturbing smell of cooked meat filled the room.


    With Entar busy removing his sword Lilith breezed past him, angling towards the broad window looking out onto the street. The last thing she heard was the office door smashing open, with more assassins flooding inside. Then she crashed through the window and found herself in free fall. ¡®Oh. I forgot this was the second floor¡¯ were her thoughts before she impacted the ground.


    Lilith was conscious enough to attempt a roll but wasn¡¯t quite able to pull it off. With a crack her arm impacted the street. Her head was spinning and she was dimly aware of screams coming from around her. She would love to just lie there for a while. Maybe catch some sleep and- no! She needed to escape.


    Slowly Lilith came to her feet and limped across the street. Not looking back, she entered an alley. The assassins would soon be coming. No matter how strong this Entar was, he couldn¡¯t hold them off forever. The pain made her vision blurry and she clutched her arm, trying to stem the bleeding. Despite being a Blessed her body still had limits and these were approaching worryingly fast.


    Finally, she stopped at a small crack between two houses and shuffled inside. It was so tight that her nose was touching the other wall but now wasn¡¯t the time to complain. Taking a deep breath she activated her blessing, making her meld into the shadows. Lilith knew that she needed to help her companions but right now she couldn¡¯t. Being a Chosen afforded her an improved regeneration, but even that would take a while. They would somehow need to survive for a while without her.

 Extermination

    The sun was just starting to rise, bathing the rooftops of Seran in light and the alleyways in shadow. People were still tired from the previous night''s celebrations and were just beginning to wake up. Unbeknownst to most, some folks were already busy working. Two of these individuals were perched on a rooftop, overlooking a seemingly inconspicuous alleyway.


    ¡°Have you located the entrance?¡± The commander of the operation asked. His subordinate had her eyes closed, concentrating. After a few seconds she opened them and replied, ¡°The hideout consists of a 4x3x2 room. It is occupied by two targets.¡±


    The commander nodded. A very cramped space, just as they had expected. ¡°Mark the doorway and tell all units to commence manoeuvre ¡®Smoke Out¡¯." At her superior''s command, the woman reached into her pouch and pulled out a handful of red sand. Closing her eyes, she threw it in the approximate direction of the doorway. Instead of simply scattering, the sand stuck to the opposing wall in a rectangular shape, perfectly outlining the hidden passage. The wind mage then relayed the commander¡¯s words to all theEnforcers who had been selected for this extermination.


    <hr>


    After hearing Pecta¡¯s account of his night, a heavy feeling had settled in my stomach. We had already known that our pursuers were powerful, but this put things into perspective. Whoever was hunting me worked with or for the City Lord. The most influential human in Seran, according to Pecta. And for some reason, they were kidnapping homeless people. Another point on the long list of shady activities the horned woman was involved in.


    My only comfort was that I now had a name for this unknown entity: Fili Ocul. An organisation thought to be long dead, still pulling the strings and furthering its goals. This raised another question: What were their aims? They were clearly powerful, with enough money to make an entire assassin guild dance to their tune and enough influence to sway a noble, but what did they want?


    I didn¡¯t know, and I wasn''t going to until I found some answers. No matter how risky, my curiosity had been piqued, and I knew exactly where to find answers: the palace. The origin of all this madness. How I was gonna get in there was something I was in the process of figuring out.


    I was deep in thought when a faint scraping sound emanated from outside. I glanced at Pecta but he seemed oblivious to it. Frowning, I moved closer to the exit. It almost sounded like something was drilling through the stone wall. ¡°Hey, do you hear that?¡± Finally Pecta looked up.


    He started to roll his eyes, but stopped when he realised that the sound wasn¡¯t just in my head. ¡°Do you know what that is?¡± I asked. My companion listened for a few seconds before shrugging. ¡°Probably just-¡° Before he could finish his sentence, a small hole opened up right in front of us. We both stared at it, only reacting when it began to spew out a green gas. Some of it got into my nose and I recoiled at the burning sensation.


    ¡°Shit, someone found us!¡± Pecta called out while covering his nose. I followed his example and stepped back from the gas. The situation went from bad to worse, when another hole opened up and started emitting fumes. I didn¡¯t know who or how they had found us, but I was starting to panic. Inhaling that gas probably wasn¡¯t good for us.


    I reached for the exit in an attempt to unlock it, but Pecta grabbed my arm. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Before I could answer, he moved the table, blocking the entrance and trapping us in the rapidly filling room. ¡°Do you want us to die?!¡± I exclaimed. ¡°Move the table, so that we can escape!¡± I immediately started to move it, but Pecta grabbed me. I pushed him away and was about to continue when a slap rang out. It barely hurt, but the shock of being slapped by Pecta momentarily cleared my panic.


    ¡°Calm down,¡± he retorted. ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? Whoever''s out there is trying to smoke us out. As soon as we leave the hideout, we¡¯re dead!¡± What he said made sense, but in my current state, it took a few seconds to register. ¡°But if we stay here, we¡¯ll die too!¡± He nodded, but didn¡¯t immediately present a solution. I tried to come up with a plan of my own, but the urge to leave was starting to get overwhelming. ¡®Wait, don¡¯t I have the ability to stop myself from panicking?¡¯ Activating Calm Mind immediately alleviated the stress and allowed me to think more clearly. The irony of having an anti-panic ability but not using it because I was panicking wasn¡¯t lost on me.


    Analysing my options, I quickly moved to the corner of the room and fiddled around with the latch to the hidden cellar. Pecta noticed what I was doing and helped me open it. Then, one after the other, we climbed down the ladder and when we were both safe, the hatch was closed.


    Due to the room¡¯s small layout, we had to stand back to back, with Pecta facing the altar. Neither of us had gotten the lantern, so the only light came from the cracks in the hatch. A small tug at my mind reminded me of my dwindling mental essence, so I turned off Calm Mind.


    ¡°Do you think we¡¯re safe?¡± I hesitantly asked. Pecta¡¯s sigh confirmed my fear. ¡°Whoever''s hunting us isn¡¯t stupid. They will wait for the gas to dissipate before entering to check on us. We¡¯re trapped in a corner, waiting for the butcher to come. That is if the gas doesn¡¯t seep through the cracks and kills us first.¡± I had never heard him so resigned. ¡°Maybe they won¡¯t see the hatch?¡± I offered. ¡°I mean, it took me a while to find it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Pecta agreed, although his tone made me think that he didn¡¯t truly believe that. We both just stood there for a while. Despite having fought a moment ago, all was forgotten in the face of our current predicament. Suddenly, he began to chuckle. A quiet laugh that contained just enough mirth to distinguish it from someone in despair.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± I asked, confused. It took him a moment to answer. ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just¡­ I never would have expected to die like this. Trying to help someone I''ve only known for, what, two weeks?¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I mumbled sadly. ¡°It is my fault that you got entangled in all this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be sorry,¡± Pecta responded. ¡°I think you misunderstand. Me dying in an attempt to help you is kind of nice.¡± In response to my concerned silence at this frankly alarming statement, he quickly clarified. ¡°Not the dying part. That¡¯s obviously bad. But not hiding from the bad stuff and facing it, is refreshing. A tenant of Persa that I didn¡¯t know I was capable of. Thank you for helping me.¡±


    I slowly nodded my head, despite knowing that he couldn¡¯t see it. That did sound nice. For him. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re happy, I truly am, but¡­ no.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± He asked, confused.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ready to die,¡± I clarified. ¡°I said the same thing in the desert, so let me repeat it: I have seen what not living is like. The broiling dark river, the pain. I don¡¯t know if this is what happens to humans after death, or if your holy scriptures are right, but don¡¯t be happy to die. Despite our predicament, I still consider life to be wonderful. A wonder which everyone should be ready to fight tooth and nail for.¡± I took a deep breath to calm myself. Rants like that were a rare occurrence for me. ¡°So, before the gas creeps down here, let''s think of some options. Could there be a secret exit here?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not,¡± Pecta replied swiftly, still sounding downtrodden. ¡°This is a holy site for followers of Noctus. Using it to hide an escape route would be extremely disrespectful and- huh.¡± He paused when he realised which god he was talking about. Firing off a quick prayer asking for forgiveness, he attempted to lift the altar. The ease with which it came loose was a surprise, and all three of Noctus¡¯ figurines crashed to the ground. Pecta winced as the carving of the deceiver lost its head. Trying to glance over his shoulder proved to be futile, so I crouched down, peering through his legs.


    Behind the altar was a tunnel that looked like it had been dug by an animal. Pecta set it aside and crouched down to get a better view in the dim light. ¡°This looks very narrow,¡± he remarked worriedly. I squinted my eyes and had to agree with him. It did look very small, which made sense considering Lilith¡¯s low height. I was only slightly taller than her, so it might be possible for me to fit. I glanced at Pecta. No way.


    My companion attempted to worm his way through but stopped when it became obvious he was going to get stuck. After pulling back, he dusted off his pants and frowned.


    ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m not going to abandon you!¡± I preempted the obvious thought running through his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s better if only one of us dies.¡± I found his cynicism both fascinating and disturbing. ¡°On the one hand, it is nice to be so valued, but on the other hand, think about yourself. How about this, when I get out I¡¯ll create a distraction and lure our attackers away. Then you can escape unseen.¡±


    Pecta considered it for a moment and nodded. ¡°Okay, but don¡¯t risk yourself. If it looks bad, just run.¡± I agreed, despite internally promising myself that I would do everything in my power to save him. ¡°If we get separated, we¡¯ll meet back up at the inn, okay?¡± Pecta agreed.


    Crawling through the narrow tunnel wasn¡¯t very comfortable. The dirt clinging to my clothes and the thought that it might collapse at any moment made me very nervous. Just the concept of being buried beneath tonnes of dirt with no one to hear my screams was unsettling. The disturbing thought of getting stuck halfway through crossed my mind, but I suppressed it.


    Luckily, the tunnel wasn¡¯t very long, and with a steady incline, I finally reached the surface. Someone had gone to great lengths to hide the exit, covering it with a grate, a cloth, and a layer of trash. I took a deep breath as I crawled out of the hole and immediately regretted it.


    The alley I found myself in was one I recognised from our nightly excursion. It was very close to the hideout, just a few corners away. The hideout where Pecta was now trapped. Quietly, I hid the exit again and crept closer, wary for any sign of our attackers'' location.


    My vigilance paid off when I noticed a shadow on the roof across from me. Backing up, I glimpsed three humans leaning over the edge of the building, intently focused on another house. The hideout, I realised. Their faces were hidden and they all wore light armour. These were the people trying to kill us. I couldn¡¯t make out any details, but I doubted that I could take them in a fight. This attack was perfectly planned and these people most likely had the skills to back it up. Not even to mention other enemies that might be hiding. But my job wasn¡¯t to defeat them. I only needed to cause a distraction.


    The first thing I did was, with Adam¡¯s help, reconstruct the way to the main road in my mind. With an escape route in mind, I picked up a random rock and aimed. My plan was to simply startle them, but what happened was completely unexpected. The stone flew true and, by some sort of a miracle, hit one of my enemies right in the side of the head. It shouldn¡¯t have been enough to cause any harm, but it did disorient them, leading to my target tumbling right over the edge of the building.


    I winced at the chilling crack that could be heard as the head met the ground. One of the other attackers reacted surprisingly swiftly and turned in my direction. They spotted me and raised some sort of contraption. Without waiting to see what it did, I turned and ran. A twang and the sharp pain in my human arm showcased that my pursuers were indeed skilled.


    Without stopping my sprint, I glanced at my arm. A thin wooden bolt protruded from it. I reached to remove it, but a piece of advice from Pecta flashed through my mind. Never remove something that pierces you, without being prepared to stop the blood flow. My body could heal faster than a human''s, but I doubted that I would survive long with a hole in me. I didn¡¯t look back and just kept running.


    <hr>


    ¡°Shit,¡± Layla swore as she looked down into the alley. The building they were standing on had only two floors, but that was enough. Jarwin¡¯s mangled body lay there, his head looking like a popped watermelon. The loss of a good colleague always hurt. She turned to Milan and motioned towards the corner where the target had disappeared. ¡°What are you waiting for? Let¡¯s finish this extermination.¡±


    He nodded but stopped and listened intently. Layla was annoyed but waited patiently for the message to end. When Milan stood up, she raised an eyebrow. ¡°What did command want?¡± Her colleague cracked his neck and looked in the direction of their target. ¡°New orders. Capture the target alive at all costs. Death is unacceptable and will be punished.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Layla proclaimed and Milan nodded. This made their task much more difficult. Two thumps announced the arrival of two more members. When Layla turned around, the commander floated down onto the roof. The wind mage followed close behind. ¡°The higher-ups want this one alive, so don¡¯t be too trigger-happy,¡± he ordered. Turning to one of the other members, he motioned them forward. ¡°Track them down.¡±


    Before they could do anything, Milan stepped forward. ¡°There''s no need for that. Before they escaped, I managed to hit the target with a locator. The life signature will make it impossible for them to escape." The commander nodded and whistled in approval. ¡°Good work. A couple Enforcers will stay here to guard the exit while we hunt down our target.¡± Everyone saluted and got ready for the hunt.

 Deja Vu

    ¡°Almost made it,¡± I muttered while taking a peak around the corner. The tantalising sight of The Emerald Drink beckoned from across the street. After my hectic escape through the countless small alleys of Seran, I was finally confident that my pursuers had lost me. Even Lilith would have been hard-pressed to follow me through the labyrinth that was the city¡¯s underbelly. The only reason I managed to find my way was with the help of Adam. It was a bit disconcerting that they had complete access to all my memories and could use them to perfectly recall the way to the inn. But right now that wasn¡¯t important.


    A sharp pain in my shoulder reminded me of a more pressing problem. Mainly the bolt still penetrating me. Taking a peak showed that the blood flow had lessened but not completely subsided. My shirt and leather armour in that region were completely soaked with blood. One saving grace was that the blood wasn¡¯t very noticeable on my dark cloak, making it easier to hide. The problem was that I couldn¡¯t walk around with a bolt sticking out of me without raising suspicion.


    Using my claw, I cut off a long strip of my cloak before removing the bolt. That part was a bit tricky since I needed to use my claw but I managed. Afterward, I quickly wrapped the wound up and applied pressure to it. This was the second time I was treating an injury despite having lived for less than two weeks. A concerning thought. After making sure that I wasn¡¯t going to bleed out I examined the projectile. What I previously thought was wood, turned out to be some kind of metal, inscribed with various symbols. Shrugging, I pocketed it. Who was I to judge what other people put on their bolts? Although, these people were hunting me, so it was probably okay to judge.


    I glanced back at the inn. It seemed to be almost empty, with few humans present this early in the morning. We had agreed to meet back up at the The Emerald Drink but doubts were starting to plague me. What if my pursuers stopped following me and returned to the hideout? Pecta would be all alone in facing them. Hopefully, my escape had drawn enough of them away but I couldn¡¯t be sure. Maybe I should go back for him?


    Turning around, I took a couple of steps before stopping. What could I even do against our enemies? I didn¡¯t know who they were or why they attacked us but a sneaking suspicion told me that they were connected to the Children of the Eye and by extension the horned woman. The attack had been cleverly executed and only the existence of the altar room had saved us. If I went back there I would just be killed or captured.


    I leaned against a wall and grabbed my head. My indecision was killing me. I simply wasn¡¯t cut out for these sorts of situations. Leaning back I stared at the rising sun. What would someone else do in this situation? Lilith and Pecta popped into my mind. The female assassin would probably reverse the situation and start hunting the hunters. That¡­ wasn¡¯t possible for me. I lacked her expertise and mindset.


    Moving on to Pecta I stopped. What would he do? He knew how to fight but would he start killing his pursuers? Maybe. Unlike me, both of my companions could be cold-hearted. My heart tightened at the thought of the human I had just killed. His head bursting open, painting the street red. That was definitely a new trauma that I didn¡¯t have the time to unpack. But no, Pecta wouldn¡¯t fight them head-on. He was smart enough to realise that the risk was too great. Instead, he would not rely on his emotions and use logic for his next steps.


    Talking about logic¡­ I activated Calm Mind. The world sharpened and my mind became clear. ¡®I should use this ability more often¡¯ I pondered. Because of how new these abilities were I often forgot to use them. One of the many things I needed to train. Ignoring this stray thought I focused on the problem. Returning to the hideout would be illogical. I would walk straight into the hands of my pursuers. Continuing to the inn would keep their attention on me, allowing Pecta to hopefully escape. It also served as a meeting spot where Pecta could find me.


    I pushed myself off the wall while deactivating Calm Mind. With a heavy heart, I walked towards the main street. Knowing what the most logical decision was didn¡¯t make it any easier. Before stepping into the light I made sure my gear was in order. Bandages to cover my face and limbs? Check. Cloak that obscured my figure and hid my demonic arm? Check. Armour and dagger for emergencies? Check.


    Taking a deep breath I quickly crossed the street. Some humans gave me passing looks but mostly ignored me. I opened the inn¡¯s door and was greeted by a barely lit room. A bit of sunshine was peeking through the window and illuminated an almost empty room. A couple of humans laid on the green benches and groaned at the creaking of the door. No idea what people did at an inn (except sleep) but these people had overdone it. The only functioning human was a familiar figure standing behind the counter and cleaning a glass.


    I approached, taking great care to not bump into anyone. Ophira didn¡¯t look up from the glass in her hand as she said, ¡°What can I get you?¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°Hello, eh, you are Ophira, right?¡± Finally, she put down the glass and took a look at me. Her facial expressions revealed nothing but a use of Sense State showed that she was wary.


    ¡°Who wants to know?¡± She replied in a cool tone. I scratched the back of my neck. ¡°Eh, my name is Vindict. We already met.¡± Ophira continued to study me. I noticed, that one of her hands was moving under the counter. ¡°I think I would remember meeting one of your kind. Now make this quick or get out,¡± the innkeeper stated.


    Quickly making sure that nobody was looking I removed part of the bandages covering my face. Her expression hardened as she realised who I was. ¡°Get out.¡± Before I could react she reached under the counter and leveled a wooden device at my face. It was similar to the one my pursuer had used to shoot me, an experience I wasn¡¯t willing to repeat.


    I took a step back and lifted my arm in an unthreatening gesture. ¡°Whoa, there is no need for that. I just want to hide here for a bit and then I¡¯ll be out of your hair.¡± Ophira didn¡¯t lower her weapon, as she growled, ¡°Get the hell out or I¡¯ll shoot. I helped Lilith one time, but I¡¯m not risking my neck a second time by hiding the most wanted man in the city.¡± She glanced around the room before leaning closer and whispered, ¡°You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m not calling the city guard.¡±


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    ¡°Please listen to me,¡± I hurriedly replied. ¡°There is this organisation hunting me and-¡° ¡°Even more of a reason for you to get out,¡± she retorted. ¡°There is no reason for me to involve myself.¡± Ophelia was very adamant but this was my only option. It was the perfect place to hide and meet back up with Pecta. Even Lilith might be able to find me after the meeting with her guild was done. She would likely be shocked after finding her hideout abandoned and come looking for us.


    ¡°I know that you barely know me, but you¡¯re my only hope, Ophelia. If you throw me out I¡¯m likely dead,¡± I pleaded with her. Her look softened a bit at my words, but Sense State showed that she still wasn¡¯t happy. Before retorting she glanced around the inn. Some of her patrons were beginning to stir and focus on us. She grumbled angrily but waved for me to follow her. I quickly complied and was led through the kitchen and into a separate room that looked like a storage area. ¡°Wait here.¡± With that she closed the door, leaving me in the dimly lit chamber, surrounded by crates of whatever supplies an inn needed.


    I don¡¯t know how long it took for Ophelia to return but it felt like an eternity. Eternity with my thoughts and worries. Maybe I was being too dramatic but the stress was getting to me. My sense of paranoia that I had developed also started to act up. What if Ophelia sold me out to the city guard? What if the next person to step through this door was a member of the Children of the Eye, here to kidnap me? My shoulder ached at the thought of them.


    Luckily, none of these realities came to pass. The next person to open the door to my new hideout wasn¡¯t a guardsman or one of my hunters but Ophelia herself. She motioned me out and closed the door to the storage room behind me. We now stood in the same room where I had met Lilith for the first time. Fond memories¡­


    Ophelia crossed her arms and studied me. ¡°You can¡¯t stay here for long,¡± she stated. ¡°I can not take that risk. Not just for myself but for all of my employees too. You-¡° A knock on the door leading to the kitchen interrupted her. Visibly annoyed she turned around and shouted, ¡°What?!¡± A human who I had seen working in the kitchen poked his head through. ¡°Uh, somebody wants to talk to you, miss.¡± Ophelia waved her hand dismissively in his direction. ¡°Tell them to wait.¡±


    She turned back to me and continued talking. ¡°You need to be gone before tomorrow. I will try to contact Lilith, but even if I can¡¯t you¡¯ll-¡° The human poked his head back through the door. Ophelia was just about to go off on him when she noticed his alarmed expression. ¡°What is it?!¡± She hissed. The employee whispered/shouted back at her, ¡°There is a group working for the City Lord here to see you!¡± Ophelia froze for a second. Then she whipped her head around and glared at me. ¡°Did you let yourself be followed?!¡±


    I raised my hands defensively. ¡°Maybe they aren¡¯t here for me.¡± But I didn¡¯t truly believe that. Somehow my pursuers had caught up. My paranoia came alive and I activated Calm Mind. What were my escape options? If they knew that I was here then hiding was off the table. Not only would it not be effective, but it would also endanger Lilith¡¯s friend and everyone in the building. I knew basically nothing about Ophelia but risking her life even more than I already had wasn¡¯t right.


    What were my escape options? My way back through the inn was blocked by my pursuers. I could use one of the unknown doors but that could just as likely lead to me trapping myself. My only way out was through the garden, just like last time. This whole situation brought back memories and not the good kind.


    My thoughts were interrupted by a loud thud. The male human had fallen forward with a bolt sticking out of his back. Before anyone could react a second bolt hit Ophelia in the shoulder. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head before she collapsed.


    My shock at the sudden explosion of violence was just short enough that I managed to dodge a third bolt by throwing myself to the floor next to Ophelia¡¯s body. Her eyes were completely empty, with only the white visible. I had never prayed before, but in that moment I hoped for all that was holy that she was still alive. Without time to properly process, I got upright and bolted towards the door leading outside. I got a glimpse of the kitchen, confirming that there were at least three individuals with weapons pointed at me.


    I burst into the garden, nearly ripping the door from its hinges and frantically looked around. Suddenly, a pressure descended onto me, making it difficult to move. It felt like the very air was pushing down on me to keep me in one spot. Then came the net. From one moment to the next a weighted net had been thrown over my head, almost making me trip. I managed to stay upright but it was clear that I was going nowhere. Clear Mind also didn¡¯t offer any solutions.


    This ambush had been meticulously planned out. They had lured me into the garden where I presented a prime target. The net had come from up above, which meant that my pursuers had someone stationed on the second floor or the roof. Now that I could take a proper look at my surroundings, I saw a fraction of what I was fighting against. At least six humans were standing at the edges of the garden and pointing their weapons at me. Then they fired.


    These projectiles were different from the ones I was used to. They were a lot thinner, more like needles than bolts. This meant that some of them simply bounced off my armour or my scaled arm. But not all. I was hit by at least three in my other arm and two in my legs. It didn¡¯t hurt but a numbness started to spread from those spots.


    My breathing came out heavy, as I gripped my dagger. There was no other option but to fight. A couple slashes and the broken net fell to pieces. ¡°Don¡¯t engage. Keep your distance and wear the subject down!¡± A voice called out from above me. Not having enough time to check it out I simply charged at my nearest opponent. I was by no stretch of the imagination an expert at fighting but Lilith¡¯s teachings and my strength made me a dangerous opponent at close range. If I could get to my opponents then I at least had a chance of doing something. But that didn¡¯t happen.


    Instead of panicking, my target remained calm as he kept shooting at me. When only a couple of steps separated us, a gust of wind suddenly slammed into my body and pushed it back. I couldn¡¯t help myself as several bad words slipped from my mouth. Another mage! And this time there wouldn¡¯t be a convenient demon to save me. I tried to flee back into the building but my pursuers had already blocked this escape option.


    From there on out the battle ceased to be a fight and turned into the creation of a pincushion. Pincushion¡­ a funny word. After another two attempts to break free from the encirclement my mind started to feel sluggish. Whatever those needles were covered in was strong. When I finally collapsed it was almost a relief. Faintly I could hear Adam¡¯s voice warning me that I was about to lose consciousness. I even felt a stirring in my claw but it ceased. A silent laugh escaped my lips. Even the demon was too weak to save me now. Hopefully, Pecta and Lilith would be okay. Now that I was captured there was no reason to continue hunting them. They had already sacrificed so much for me. I didn¡¯t want it to become more. This was my last thought before I passed out.

 Approaching Exodus

    Subject name: Sarvad [Blank]


    Origin: Purchased from the Hero Guild of the Empire


    Project: Daemonium Renatus


    Description (abbreviated): The subject has the appearance of an average 18-year-old human male. No bloodline or mage core has been recorded. There is evidence to suggest that the subject was to be used as a host for various cursed artefacts by the Hero Guild due to its high mental adaptability. Testing may not have returned satisfactory results, as the subject was authorised for sale.


    Addendum 1.1: Further testing has revealed the subject¡¯s high affinity towards manipulating its mental essence. Constructions inside the mindscape have proven to be far more solid than those made by a normal human. Further testing required to see limit.


    Addendum 1.7: Subject seems to have developed a sentient protection system inside its mindscape. Knowledge Seekers note that it resembles an elemental made out of mental essence. No previous records of such an occurrence could be found. Relaying file to Overseer command.


    Note by Second Overseer: The classification of this project has been officially raised to Phoenix. As the subject was located by one of my subordinates [Knowledge Seeker: Eleura Panzinho] I will take control of the project. Any unnecessary staff will be blanked and relocated to a new facility.


    Eleura sighed as she laid down the file. It had been a while since she read it, but the nostalgic feeling remained. She wasn¡¯t one to belittle her abilities, but without a lot of luck, she wouldn¡¯t be where she was today. It was mere happenstance that she took an interest in the subject. Her main field of expertise had always been life essence, not mental essence. However, the body and the mind were closely related so she had decided to branch out. What a truly lucky decision.


    With a shake of her head, she placed the file back into the folder and closed it. It was unusual for an Administrator to carry a copy of a file with her, but this one was special to her. A reminder of what had been and of what was to come. A smile played along her lips. This was the first time in weeks that she felt truly relaxed.


    10 minutes ago the news had arrived. The subject had been captured. Finally, there was an end in sight. The boulder on her chest, which had been slowly crushing her, had suddenly disappeared. She still didn¡¯t know what happened to Facility X or Milgram but that would sort itself out. Hell, if Milgram was still alive, which was doubtful, she would make him wish that he was dead. The Facility Lord had somehow failed so catastrophically, that the entire facility was wiped from reality. In some ways it was impressive.


    A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. ¡°Come in.¡± The door opened and her assistant walked in. ¡°Facility Lord Werth requests a meeting, regarding recent actions that he had not been made aware of,¡± the older woman mechanically rattled off.


    Eleura barely suppressed a sigh of annoyance and waved her assistant away. ¡°Send him in.¡± The woman disappeared and soon returned with the Facility Lord, whose face bore an ugly expression. The Dryam motioned for him to take a seat and waited until the clicking of the door signalled the absence of her assistant.


    She calmly leaned back in her chair and clasped her hands together. ¡°My assistant has made me aware of the fact that you are displeased by certain¡­ events that have transpired,¡± she stated while putting on a fake smile. ¡°What specifically are you referring to?¡± Eleura could sense his clenched fists underneath the table.


    Werth cleared his throat before beginning to speak. ¡°It has come to my attention that you have sanctioned several missions using this facility¡¯s resources. This in itself doesn¡¯t present a problem, however, I am curious as to what reason I wasn¡¯t informed of them, Administrator.¡± Eleura nodded along to his words. ¡°I understand your frustration, Facility Lord,¡± she responded. ¡°But the reason why you were not informed was because I didn¡¯t deem it necessary.¡±


    Werth frowned at her response. ¡°With all due respect Administrator, as Facility Lord it is my responsibility to know everything related to this facility. There are incomplete reports which show that you have spent significant resources for some nebulous goal. From what I can tell it is to recapture a research subject that escaped from another facility, but the files regarding these actions have been horrendously vague. I can only presume that your assistant did a sloppy job in filling them, since an esteemed Administrator like yourself, would never commit such grievous errors.¡± His last sentence was filled with such sarcasm that it was hard to miss. Despite the veiled insult, Eleura only smiled. A real smile, not the fake one she had started this conversation with.


    ¡°As with many things, you are wrong. I did write those reports.¡± Werth waited for her to elaborate, but she didn¡¯t. ¡°But that goes against every regulation! You can¡¯t just-¡° He was silenced by Eleura lifting her finger. At his silence, she smiled. ¡°Please, remind me again, how would you rank the four main managerial positions in our esteemed organisation?¡± The grinding of Werth¡¯s teeth filled the room. Eleura calmly stared back. ¡°That was an order.¡±


    ¡°Facility Manager, Facility Lord, Administrator, and Overseer,¡± he practically spat out. Eleura smiled and clapped her hands together. ¡°Perfect! Now, what position do you hold?¡± The Facility Lord rolled his eyes. ¡°This is entirely unnecessary and-¡° The Administrator slammed her fist on the table, making him stay quiet. ¡°Wrong,¡± she answered, still calm, despite the outburst. ¡°You are a Facility Lord. A very respectable position, I am sure. You are in the upper echelon of the Institution, privy to knowledge that kings and queens would kill for. But that doesn''t matter in this case.¡± Her smile turned shark-like. ¡°Do you know why? Because I am a goddam Administrator. Everything that I do has a purpose and it isn¡¯t your place to question it. Oh, and don¡¯t worry. All my actions are in accordance with the will of the Overseers. You¡¯re dismissed.¡±


    Werth remained silent for a while after her monologue. Then he stood up and bowed to her. Eleura smiled at seeing his clenched fists. It felt good to humble one of her enemies. ¡°I understand, Administrator. Please pardon me for questioning you. As what should I archive these missions?¡±


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    The Dryam smiled at his subservient tone. ¡°Simply classify it as recontainment of an escaped test subject. The details are unnecessary.¡± Daemonium Renatus was a project of the Phoenix category, meaning that even Facility Lords didn¡¯t automatically have access to information pertaining to it. If Eleura had her way, Werth would never learn about the project. Its existence and Milgram¡¯s failure presented a weakness that was just begging to be exploited. But with the capture of the subject, this nightmare had finally ended and she could begin to cover her traces. As long as nothing unexpected happened, everything should go smoothly.


    The Facility Lord was about to leave when Eleura called out to him. ¡°I must admit, you are clever. That whole Lifebloom incident? Impressive. You almost had me.¡± Werth stopped but didn¡¯t turn around. ¡°I am not sure what you are getting at, Administrator. The incident was an unfortunate accident, but thanks to your might, nobody got hurt.¡± Eleura almost laughed at the brutal dismissal of the Knowledge Seeker who had been killed by the test subject. ¡°Yes, of course. You¡¯re dismissed.¡± It didn¡¯t actually matter whether or not he confessed to the assassination attempt. The only thing that mattered was that he was aware of the fact that she knew. A little fear would be what the would-be assassin needed. The Administrator leaned back in her chair and sighed. Everything was going her way.


    <hr>


    Werth stormed past the Administrator¡¯s assistant, who didn¡¯t spare him a single glance, and out into the hallway. Knowledge Seekers quickly got out of his way and the guards saluted him as he made his way through the compound. Soon rumours would be flying around about a conflict between the Administrator and the Facility Lord.


    Only when he entered a sparsely populated part of the facility did he slow down. If there was anybody around to witness Werth, they would have seen a small smile on the usually stoic Facility Lord¡¯s face. ¡°Project Daemonium Renatus¡­,¡± he muttered. ¡°Interesting.¡± Mind Read proved to be such a strong ability. He could only read the surface-level thoughts of the people surrounding him, but that was already enough. A plan was forming in his mind and it had something to do with a certain test subject that had just been captured.


    Once Werth reached his office, he instructed the guards to let nobody disturb him and locked the door behind himself. Locking the door was a bit unnecessary, as all of his immediate subordinates were also followers of the master, but one could never be too safe. After making sure he was alone, he walked behind his desk and pushed a hidden button under it. With a click the secret compartment opened and he pulled out a communication orb.


    If anyone had witnessed this, they would have been outraged. A member of the Creator¡¯s Church would have immediately arrested him for possession of a heretical artefact. An Enforcer of the Institution would have immediately apprehended him for possession of a restricted item. All artefacts used by the Institution needed to be catalogued before being handed out and this one was definitely off the books. But it was necessary for his end goal.


    The Facility Lord drew out a symbol on its surface and infused it with a drop of divine essence. It immediately lit up and started pulsating with a golden light. A soft voice emanated from the orb. ¡°Ah, Werth. How have you been? I didn¡¯t expect you to call so soon.¡± Despite the friendly demeanour, Werth could barely stop his body from prostrating itself on the floor. The divine essence was bubbling inside of him, as it sensed an even greater source of divinity. Even the voice of a Champion was enough to cause a stir in the ambient essence.


    The Facility Lord graciously returned the greeting and started recounting what he had found out. The Champion patiently listened, while sometimes asking pointed questions. After Werth was done he paused and awaited new orders. The communication orb remained silent for a couple of minutes before the Champion¡¯s voice emerged again.


    ¡°Daemonium Renatus is a project that we have known little about. Our brothers and sisters in the Eternal Library only managed to gather snippets of information. The bigger picture alluded us, but your discoveries have helped our cause tremendously. The Master is pleased.¡± Werth bowed his head without responding. One had to wait for a question before directly talking to a Champion of the Master. They were his voice.


    The Champion continued. ¡°This is a time of celebration. It won¡¯t be long before our guardian is reunited with us. The Master had decided: Operation Exodus shall commence.¡± Werth¡¯s heart started pounding as he heard those words. Every follower of the Master had an understanding of what this meant. The time was nigh. No more would he have to take orders from monsters and false believers. Ignoring customs he proclaimed, ¡°Glory to the Engineer of Humanity!¡±


    The Champion chuckled but didn¡¯t reprimand him for his breach of protocol. ¡°Glory to the Engineer of Humanity indeed. His return will signify an end to the rott that is permeating this Institution and finally return us to our roots. And you will play a big part in it. Daemonium Renatus has been deemed to be too big of an unknown. Destroy it. Do you understand?¡±


    Werth prostrated himself before the communication orb. ¡°I hear and obey. The will of the Master shall be done. Glory to the Engineer of Humanity.¡± The Champion returned the statement before the orb went dark. Werth quickly stowed it away before taking a seat behind his desk. So many possibilities and plans were unfolding before his eyes. He was free from the need to stay hidden. He could do whatever he wanted. A smile played across his lips. Glory to the Engineer of Humanity.


    <hr>


    Lilith immediately noticed that something was wrong. If she hadn¡¯t been on high alert, then maybe the assassin would have missed the clues. In her current state, they were obvious. An unusual number of bootprints marked the mixture of sand and dust that covered the ground in these alleys. This remote route was only used by few, and never this early in the morning. Moreover, several areas showed signs of dried blood. Not a lot, most people would have missed it, but that only made Lilith more suspicious. The amount seemed to indicate a shallow cut, but the spacing of the droplets was too wide. Almost as if someone had tried to remove the evidence.


    All of this led to one conclusion: She was too late. Whoever Entar was working for had succeeded. Lilith managed to suppress a wince of pain. Most of the smaller cuts had already healed, but her arm was hanging limply by her side while hurting like hell. Probably broken. She knew from experience that the bone would have to be realigned before her improved healing would activate.


    As her hideout got closer, she slowed down. Someone had been here, but the question that remained was if they were still here. She estimated, that one hour had passed since her involuntary expulsion from the guild. A guild that may or may not exist anymore. Lilith slowed down and activated Shadow Meld. She was starting to run low on divine essence, but it would have to do.


    Her wariness quickly paid off, as she noticed a shadow peaking over the rooftops. With a quick roll, she hid behind a corner and took stock of her surroundings. For the next couple of minutes, Lilith stayed still and analysed what she was up against. There were at least three people keeping watch on separate rooftops, which were one to two buildings spaced apart. From how they acted, she could tell that they were skilled, though not as skilled as some of the assassins from Noctu¡¯s Dream.


    Lilith had some difficult choices to make. The safest option would be to use the hidden exit from the altar room to sneak into her hideout. This would allow her to scoop the situation before taking further action. Her issue with that was how long it would take. Crawling through the small tunnel wasn¡¯t fast and right now speed might be very important. Moreover, it would allow her enemies to trap her, which would be a death sentence. Of course, the other option was to simply deal with the people guarding her hideout and go from there. A bloodthirsty smile spread across Lilith¡¯s face. What good was her skillset as an assassin if she couldn¡¯t use it?

 Hopelessness

    Sils barely managed to suppress a yawn, as he gazed down at the hidden entrance. The injectors had been removed, which left the green dendfade gas to slowly pour out. One of the gas¡¯ unique properties was how quickly it dispersed after leaving an enclosed room, making it almost undetectable after a while. Although waiting for all the gas to exit the room took a while, Sils wasn¡¯t worried. Others were keeping watch in case somebody stumbled onto the scene. Once the gas was all gone, they would simply pick up whoever they found in there and take them away. An easy job, considering the effect dendfade had on the body.


    The Enforcer shuddered as he remembered the one and only time he had accidentally inhaled the gas. The burning quickly spread from the nose to all other parts of the body. After less than one minute, you become unable to control your muscles, leaving the body completely paralysed. The paralyses lasted for several hours, depending on how much you inhaled, during which you were fully conscious. Some mad Knowledge Seeker had developed it several years ago and used it to go on a sadistic revenge spree targeting all the women who had previously rejected him. Suffice it to say, after some disciplinary action he was promoted to Head Knowledge Seeker of a very prominent facility.


    With a shake of his head, Sils squeezed the response stone in his pocket. After a couple of seconds, it grew warmer, signalling that everything was fine on the other end. He repeated this action with the other two response stones in his pocket. A frown spread across his face as only one got warmer. Volter, the Enforcer who held the sister stone, wasn¡¯t one to shirk his duties. Sils scanned the other flat roofs but noticed nothing suspicious. What made things difficult, was that they were filled with various junk that had somehow ended up there. Perfect hiding places for his Enforcers, but also an opportunity for a skilled assassin.


    Without hesitation, the team leader signalled everyone to gather. Maybe Volter somehow forgot to use his stone, but that was unlikely. If so he would be heavily reprimanded.


    A unique knocking sequence heralded the arrival of another Enforcer. Cara jumped over the small stone wall and crouched next to him. ¡°Anything to report?¡± Sils whispered. At her negative response, his mood worsened. ¡°Volter stopped answering his response stone. Stay put.¡± They waited in silence for half a minute but nothing happened. Sils frown only worsened. Disregarding Volter, there was still one team member left unaccounted for. Another activation of the response stones yielded no results.


    Sils eyed his surroundings. Something was definitely wrong and he doubted that two Enforcers would be enough to deal with it. ¡°I¡¯m calling for backup,¡± he informed Cara. She only nodded and continued to scan the surroundings. He took out a messenger flask and was about to use it when one of the stones in his pocket got warmer. Retrieving it, he noted that it was Volter¡¯s sister stone. Sils grabbed it to better understand the message, but only received a collection of random patterns.


    Turning to Cara, he handed the stone over to her. ¡°Do you know what that means?¡± The team leader asked. The other Enforcer closed her eyes to focus and nodded. ¡°Yes, Sir. That¡¯s ser-code, one of the simpler varieties to use response stones. Whoever is on the other side is broadcasting a distress signal.¡± She looked expectantly at him. ¡°What should we do team leader?¡± Sils hesitated. It was doubtful that this was Volter since he would have used the Institution¡¯s standardised response code. It was more than likely, that whoever was broadcasting this signal wanted them to leave their post. The Enforcer glanced at the hidden entrance, where the holes had almost completely stopped expelling dendfade gas. Maybe that was the case, but it was his responsibility as the leader to take care of his team members.


    Sils came to a decision. ¡°We investigate Volter¡¯s post. If he isn¡¯t there or was eliminated we return and wait for backup.¡± He broke the messenger flask, releasing the sealed wind elemental inside. ¡°Team leader Sils of Enforcer Squad 34 requesting backup. We lost contact with two members of our team. Strength of hostile presence unknown.¡± After receiving the message, the elemental turned into a stream of wind and rushed towards the facility. The creature was extremely fast, but it would still take time for backup to arrive. The two remaining Enforcers activated various items and headed in the direction of Volter¡¯s assigned post. None of them noticed the shadow that suddenly became animate and quickly moved in the direction of the hideout they were supposed to be guarding.


    ¡°Shit,¡± cursed Sils as he spotted Volter¡¯s prone form. Cara, who reacted faster than him, crouched down on the rooftop and checked his pulse. ¡°He is still alive, if barely.¡± That was a surprise considering the amount of blood surrounding him. The blood¡¯s origin was a stab wound in the stomach, which looked like someone had tried to bandage it but failed. If Sils had to guess, that person was Volter himself, who passed out before finishing the job.


    His thoughts raced, while Cara bandaged the wound. The likelihood that somebody had led them here to get to the hideout was almost 100% in his mind. ¡°What should we do now, Sir?¡± Asked Cara after finishing. Sils turned to her. ¡°Will Volter survive if we leave him alone?¡± He only needed to look at her face to know the answer. ¡°Then we will stay here and protect him until backup shows up.¡± Another option would have been to split up, but that would be dumb. Whoever was out there had eliminated two Enforcers without being noticed. If the two of them split up, they would be easy to pick off. Sils glanced in the direction of the hideout. ¡°Well played.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°I¡¯m never doing this shit again,¡± hissed Lilith as she dragged the unmoving form of Pecta out of the hideout. She couldn¡¯t see his face but assumed that he was rolling his eyes. If not for his breathing and eye movements she would have thought he was dead. Maybe that would have been simpler, since carrying a grown man up a ladder, only using one arm, was a miracle that even a Blessed had trouble accomplishing.


    Luckily, most of the gas had already dissipated, which meant one problem less. But whatever that stuff was, it was powerful. The stinging in her eyes attested to that. Lilith wasn¡¯t a big fan of poisons and despite the name ¡°Desert Vipers¡± none of the other guild members were real experts. However, in her time before moving to Seran, she had witnessed some powerful alchemy. Acid that could dissolve a person in seconds, a poison that blinded you for the rest of your life, and a mixture that only activated once you exposed it to music. This paralytic gas was completely new to her.


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    She quickly glanced at the surrounding rooftops. Nothing. It seemed like her prediction had been correct. Whoever had attacked the hideout had numbers and technology on their side, but one could not remove the human element behind it all. Empathy was a hell of a drug, one that can be taken advantage of. It had been a risk to assume that these hunters valued their colleague¡¯s life more than the chance to fight an unknown enemy, but it had paid off.


    After being 100% certain that nobody was watching them, Lilith activated her blessing and carried Pecta away, while staying in the shadows. Without stopping she rolled the response stone into a sewer grit. She didn¡¯t know enough about them to say if someone could track her with it, but there was no need to take the risk. The assassin quickened her pace. Time to get out of here.


    <hr>


    Pecta gasped as he regained control of his body. How long had he lost it? He didn¡¯t know, but that time had been hell. The feeling of being a guest in his own body, only able to watch what was happening on the outside. A voice interrupted his panic. ¡°Looks like our resident dreamer is finally awake. Had a nice nap?¡± Pecta glanced at Lilith, who was sitting on a chair backwards with her arms casually crossed on the headrest. He noted that her broken arm already healed. Her expression was hidden behind the black bandages, but her tone held a lot of mirth.


    Instead of answering, Pecta analysed his surroundings. The room they were in was windowless, kinda like the hideout, and cast in a dim light by a rusty lantern hanging from the ceiling. Rows of bottle-filled shelfs lined the walls and a layer of dust had settled over everything. Pecta grabbed one of the bottles and inspected it. Wine. Very expensive wine.


    ¡°Don¡¯t drop that,¡± Lilith warned. Pecta shook his head and placed the bottle back on its shelf. ¡°Where are we?¡± The assassin rolled her eyes. ¡°Straight to the point,¡± she muttered. ¡°This is an abandoned wine cellar at the edge of the city. Used to belong to a mob boss, but-,¡± Lilith mimicked a knife cutting through her throat. ¡°He didn¡¯t last long before some noble ordered a hit on him. That was the day I had the honour of ridding this world of a piece of shit and finding my very own wine cellar.¡±


    Pecta nodded but didn¡¯t let his guard down. ¡°Does anybody else know about this place?¡± Lilith sighed in annoyance. ¡°Okay, now you¡¯re just insulting me. Do you think of me as some sort of amateur?¡±


    ¡°If this place is so safe, then why did Vindict and I have to stay in that shity hideout?¡± Pecta retorted. This place looked a lot more comfortable than their previous residency. Lilith scoffed. ¡°This place may be safe from ordinary means of tracking, but not from divine ones. Fun fact: the presence of Noctus¡¯ shrine hid the hideout from divination blessings. A hideout that is now ruined because I helped you.¡± The last bit was said in an accusatory tone, which annoyed Pecta.


    ¡°We did not ask for your help,¡± he replied, a bit more heatedly than intended. ¡°It was your god that offered his help for a price we still don¡¯t know. Nothing good if his reputation is to be believed.¡± Pecta expected her to get angry at the shade he was throwing at the God of Shadows, but instead, the assassin chuckled. ¡°What did you expect from the god who is known for his manipulation and dubiousness? Still, you¡¯d be dead if it wasn¡¯t for him and me. A little gratitude would be appreciated.¡±


    Pecta sighed in annoyance but internally he knew she was right. Vindict and he would be dead if it wasn¡¯t for Lilith. He didn¡¯t like her or her god, but that was a simple fact. With a sigh, he muttered, ¡°Thank you for saving me.¡± He refused to look at her pleased face. Instead, he focused his attention on the exit to the cellar, which was at the top of a rickety staircase. ¡°Do you have any idea what happened to Vindict?¡±


    ¡°Nope, but he definitely wasn¡¯t close by when I saved you.¡± That answer wasn¡¯t satisfactory. How high was the chance that this mysterious organisation, which Vindict had mentioned, captured him? Considering their perceived competency and his, to put it nicely, unfamiliarly with the world,the chances of that were pretty high. Almost without thinking, Pecta tightened his fist around the necklace of Persa which he wore. He prayed that this wasn¡¯t the case, but life had taught him to always expect the worst. But what could they do?


    ¡°We need to rescue Vindict,¡± Pecta stated. A part of him laughed at the answer. Did he believe himself to be some kind of hero? The laughter was so loud that It was almost audible. Then he noticed that it came from Lilith. It took a while for her to stop, but then she got serious. ¡°Your optimism is almost cute,¡± the assassin declared. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a quick rundown of what we are up against: A secret organisation that possesses magic and technology more advanced than the standards of Sanktrum. Moreover, it has ties with the City Lord and enough money to tempt an entire assassin guild. An assassin guild, which will want revenge for what happened earlier.¡± In response to Pecta¡¯s confused stare, she quickly summarised what happened at the guild hall.


    ¡°So,¡± she concluded after laying everything out. ¡°This situation is hopeless and I¡¯m gonna cut my losses. Even if this is some divine mission, I¡¯m not doing it. By Noctus¡¯ ass, we don¡¯t even know where to start looking for Vindict.¡± Pecta wanted to retort but paused at her last sentence, his mind racing. ¡°I think I know where he is.¡± Now it was his turn to explain what he had discovered.


    Lilith listened intently, as he described following the two kidnappers through Seran. Her face betrayed no emotions throughout the entire story, a stark contrast from her usual self.


    ¡°Well, that is disturbing to hear. Good luck.¡± With that, she headed toward the stairs. ¡°Wait!¡± Pecta called after her. ¡°Don¡¯t you care about Vindict and the other people who suffer under this injustice?!¡± The assassin didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Are you that heartless?!¡± Pecta angrily asked. As she walked past him, he grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. Without any warning, Lilith grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall. The rattling of wine bottles filled the cellar, as Pecta¡¯s breath was knocked out of him.


    ¡°Do not call me heartless!¡± She snarled. Pecta only now noticed the trembling in her shoulders and the underlying tenseness throughout her whole body. She was almost an entire head shorter than him but radiated an almost scary intensity. The bandages hid her face, but it was clear that there was a grimace beneath it. He stayed silent as Lilith took a couple of deep breaths to compose herself.


    ¡°Let me make one thing clear,¡± she started. Her voice was quieter but still carried that intensity. ¡°I do care. I care A LOT about the horrors that are happening in this city and around the kingdom. That¡¯s the only reason why I joined Noctus¡¯ Dream. To make a difference. But this¡­¡± she hesitated. ¡°This is too much for me to handle,¡± Lilith quietly admitted.


    She released Pecta¡¯s collar and stepped back without looking at him. Pecta stayed quiet. This was a completely new side to the assassin who seemed to have no problem with killing for money. In this moment he realised something. Lilith was scared. He knew virtually nothing about her, but this was something he was all too familiar with. She had just lost any sense of stability in her life. She may not have liked the Desert Vipers, but they had been an anchor to her existence in Seran. And now they were gone. Her entire life had been thrown into uncertainty.


    Pecta took a deep breath. ¡°I understand.¡± He truly did. ¡°Thank you for everything you have done for us. Still, I have to rescue Vindict. Not just because he saved my life.¡± He walked past Lilith and up the wooden stairs. They creaked with every step he took. At the top, he stopped. ¡°Again, thank you.¡± With that, he was gone. The sound of the door closing faded, leaving Lilith alone.


    She chuckled self-deprecatingly. ¡°I guess I was wrong about you,¡± she muttered. ¡°You truly follow the conviction of your goddess.¡± It was respectable. And enviable. Her head slightly turned to the left, where she knew the city of Wirmaw was located. ¡°It seems you were right, trainer,¡± she whispered. ¡°I am too weak.¡±

 The Beginning of the End

    Unconsciousness is strange. Disjointed images flashed before my eyes. A golden city, winged beings of perfection, a bleeding eye. Unlike dreams, they didn¡¯t form a coherent story and just bombarded me with some things I recognised and some that felt completely foreign. Considering I shared this body with a demon and a human, that didn¡¯t even surprise me. I tried to think, but that didn¡¯t work, leaving me to float in a sea of images. Until I woke up.


    When I opened my eyes they were immediately assaulted by a bright light. I squinted and tried to get a sense of my surroundings. A windowless yellow room made out of sandstone greeted me. It was sparsely furnished, with only the bed I was lying on and a simple wooden chair that was placed at the centre of the room. The light came from two glowing stones that were embedded in the ceiling.


    What grabbed my attention was the fact that one of the walls of the room was missing. Instead a transparent layer of¡­ something separated it from a corridor. On the opposite side was a room that was identical to mine, but empty.


    My human hand reflexively went to my belt, where I usually kept my dagger. Only when it went through empty air did I look down. All of my equipment was gone. My knife, the books, everything. Even the clothing I had worn was gone, replaced with a clean pair of pants and a shirt that lacked any buttons or strings. My discomfort, which had already been high, skyrocketed.


    ¡®Adam, do you know how long I was out?¡¯


    Adam¡¯s mechanical voice answered, ¡°3 hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds. Does the User require more specification?¡± I shook my head, thanked him, and stood up. It was nice to know, but not that useful. An image of the horned woman flashed across my mind. One of my worst fears had come to fruition. The organisation that Sarvad so feared had captured me.


    As my mind cleared up I realised that I needed to escape. It would be nice to stay and learn more about what I suspected to be Fili Ocul, but that knowledge did not come close to the value of my life. They had already shown through Sarvad¡¯s memories and their action that they lacked any sort of morals.


    First, I pressed my claw against the transparent sheet that separated my cell from the corridor. My claw passed halfway through the barrier before it stopped. A series of symbols in the frame of the barrier lit up and the area I was touching glowed a dark blue. I strained to push past the obstacle, but it didn¡¯t budge. Disappointed, I let go, which caused the barrier to return to its original state. Just for good measure, I tried various other means of getting through, like cutting it or ramming my body against it. Nothing worked.


    Afterwards, I looked around the cell to find another exit. What I had first assumed to be sandstone turned out to be a lot tougher, with my claw not even leaving a scratch. The only thing I could break was the chair and the bed, but I refrained from doing so.


    After looking for half an hour (Adam told me the time), I dejectedly sat down on my bed. Whoever had designed this room had done a great job. I glanced at the corridor. Still empty. Surprisingly, my anxiety had gotten better after searching the room and finding no exit. At least I now knew that I couldn¡¯t avoid this fate. Having only the option of waiting was somehow relaxing. Eventually, boredom set in. I could have asked Adam for the time, but I didn¡¯t. It felt pointless.


    Finally, after who knew how long, something happened. The sound of a door opening was the first thing I heard. Two voices could be heard coming from further down the corridor. ¡°But Administrator! We haven¡¯t received proper identification for the test subject and don¡¯t know-¡± The voice that interrupted the speaker was loud, firm, and sounded like it belonged to a human woman. ¡°As Administrator, I command you to stand down. Do not presume to know more than me about this test subject.¡±


    There was more protest, but it was silenced. The door closed and slow footsteps could be heard. I took a step back and clenched my fist. Into view marched someone who I had never met, but still knew too much about.


    Dressed in a long white coat and her head held up high, walked in the horned woman. She stopped in front of my cell and studied me. I did the same. After a while of nobody saying anything she smiled and simply walked through the barrier separating us.


    ¡°It is so nice to see you again, Sarvad. We were all worried after you suddenly disappeared, but it seems like you are doing more than alright. Congratulations on the new arm.¡± Without waiting for me to respond, she sat down on the chair and beckoned for me to sit on the bed across from her. I remained standing. The image I had of her in my mind and the person in my cell were hard to reconcile. When I refused to sit down she shook her head in disappointment. ¡°Really? You have known me for so long, and yet you still don¡¯t trust me?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I rebutted. ¡°This is our first time meeting, but from what has happened to me I have no reason to trust you.¡± Instead of being surprised at my answer, the horned woman nodded. ¡°That is disappointing, but not unexpected.¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°My name is Eleura Panzinho, Administrator of the organisation you may remember as ¡®Fili Ocul¡¯. I welcome your return to the mortal realm, demon 29. Is there a preferred name you¡¯d like to go by?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about or who you think I am.¡± After some thought I added, ¡°But you can call me Vindict.¡± She had presented her name, so it was only fair that I do the same.


    Her facial expression slightly changed and Sense State showed a feeling of confusion. Suddenly, a splitting headache and Adam¡¯s voice interrupted my train of thought. ¡°Warning! Mental intrusion detected. Diverting essence to Protocol 4: Fortitude.¡±


    I immediately became alert and prepared for a fight. Eleura remained seated and nonchalantly looked up at me. Did she just try to attack my mind? Or had that been someone else? Adam interrupted again. ¡°Intrusion stopped. Returning essence usage to normal.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± the horned woman stated without so much a change in her voice. ¡°The mental construct that Sarvad built is still active, yet it is not him behind the reigns. But the conscience of the demon seems to be missing despite the grafting being a success.¡± She frowned, the first real sign of negative emotion. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    When the horned woman left I didn¡¯t need Sense State to tell me that she was in a bad mood. The last half an hour consisted of her asking questions and me failing to answer them. Most of that was because I didn¡¯t trust her, but some questions I simply couldn¡¯t answer. Something like, ¡°Who are you?¡± Should¡¯ve had an easy answer, but I was a special case.


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    In the end, nobody left that conversation happy. I tried to pry for more information, but after her masquerade of happiness disappeared I learned nothing new. With a sigh, I laid back down to wait. What were my options? Just waiting around didn¡¯t seem appealing. Maybe I could try and contact Noctus? No, from what Lilith told me, one needed to be at an altar or be a Chosen of that god. Mindlessly I scratched my claw which had begun to itch. Somewhere during my thought process, I had closed my eyes. I opened them and almost screamed upon realising that I was being watched.


    The man outside my cell looked plain and like any other native of what humans called the ¡°Scorching Barrens¡±. Only his white coat, which matched Eleura¡¯s, made him stand out. Oh, and his piercing gaze with which he was focusing me.


    I slowly stood up, not breaking eye contact. The man said nothing. ¡°Can¡­ can I help you?¡± I hesitantly asked. Silence. Just when I thought that he wouldn¡¯t say anything, I heard a whisper. ¡°Pathetic.¡±


    I looked around, not sure if he meant me. ¡°What are you talking about? Also, who are you?¡± The man didn¡¯t break eye contact, but when he spoke, it didn¡¯t feel like he was addressing me. ¡°All of that worry for a failed experiment. A smart idea, with useless results. No unity was achieved, and the important side was suppressed. What a shame.¡±


    Before I could react, he shook his head. This time it felt like he was addressing me. ¡°Nonetheless, the master wants you dead, no matter how minimal the risk you represent is.¡± I tensed and readied myself for a fight. ¡°If you want to kill me, then come and try,¡± I said with bravery, which was entirely fake. All of this was confusing, but I wasn¡¯t going to lay my life down without a fight.


    The man simply chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to murder you like a brute.¡± Any relief that the statement caused was quickly dashed by his next words. ¡°No, when you die, I will lay right next to you and stare into eternity. This entire city will face the end. It is regrettable, but sacrifices have to be made for the good of humanity.¡± With that he disappeared, leaving me standing alone in my cell with growing confusion and panic.


    <hr>


    With the beginning of a new day, the residents of Seran started to rise from their sleep. The streets slowly filled with a myriad of people, most of whom were rushing to work or completing other chores. Lilith was one of the rare ones, who didn¡¯t have a concrete idea of where they were going.


    As she pushed through a crowd of people, while avoiding any guard patrols, her mind raced. Everything had happened so fast. How did her relatively stable life crumble around her?


    Now she had nobody to turn to and an unknown group was probably hunting her down. She briefly thought about contacting Ophira but dismissed the idea. The innkeeper didn¡¯t deserve to be dragged into this shit.


    Lilith had two options to consider. Either leave Seran or wait until this whole situation blows over. As she entered the outer district of the city she thought about both options. Even if she decided to leave, that would be tough with the current state of things. All caravans leaving Seran were under heavy scrutiny, especially with the recent turmoil. Maybe that wouldn¡¯t have been a problem before this whole mess, but now there were people actively looking for her. No, the safest option would be to stay hidden, wait it out, and leave once the dust had settled.


    Lilith was so deep in thought that she almost ran headfirst into a mother and her child. She dodged in the last second and muttered an apology, as the mother threw her a dirty look. This incident interrupted her musing and made her realise that something was off. Inconspicuously she glanced at the people around her.


    The aura of the crowd was¡­ fearful. Everybody kept their distance and tried to hurry as much as possible. Stress and distrust could be seen in the faces of almost all citizens. The atmosphere had even infected the guards who threw suspicious glances at anybody who got too close. But one thing that almost everybody avoided was to look up. When Lilith did just that the feeling of dread inside her exploded.


    Deathstalkers. Countless of the black bird-like creatures sat on the rooftops and stared down at the crowd with bloodshot eyes. Lilith could feel their silent hunger and immediately looked away. Her pace quickened. Deathstalkers were always the first sign of imminent mass death. It was normal to see a couple of them in big cities, especially at night, but this many¡­ The only time she had heard of so many appearing was on battlefields.


    Lilith now understood the atmosphere. Something big was about to happen and everybody knew it. She found it surprising that there hadn¡¯t already been a mass panic. Although, the people living in the Scorching Barrens were known for their toughness, so maybe that had something to do with it. However, Lilith¡¯s mind was made up. She had to get out of here, no matter the cost. The assassin took another step and day turned to night.


    It took her a couple of seconds to realise what had happened. The surrounding forest and figure sitting next to a fire made it pretty obvious. Lilith took a deep breath and bowed. ¡°While it is nice to see you, patron, I am kind of in a hurry. Of course, if you can help me, that would be appreciated.¡± The Blessed knew that Noctus directly intervening for her was more than unlikely. Gods didn¡¯t solve problems, they only gave mortals the tools to do it themselves. That was something her mentor had drilled into her head.


    Noctus didn¡¯t immediately answer her. He had taken the form of the Unknown, meaning that his entire body consisted of a humanoid black mass. Most people, from what Lilith knew, found this form to be the most frightening. Lilith didn¡¯t share this opinion. It was definitely the most monstrous, but it was better than the alternative. The problem with the Merchant and the Deceiver was that it was almost impossible to distinguish them.


    Finally, the god spoke. ¡°It is almost amusing that you think I would waste your time. No, I am here to offer you salvation from an early end. But first, wasn¡¯t there a task I gave you?¡±


    Lilith almost laughed at the contradiction. ¡°You mean that rescue mission? Yeah, that went to shit. But you already know this, so why are you wasting my time?¡± A bit of anger bled into her words, especially in the last sentence. Didn¡¯t that request from Noctus start this whole mess?


    When the god stayed silent Lilith took a deep breath. Her patron was partially responsible for everything, but getting angry at him wasn¡¯t the solution. Furthermore, it was unfair considering how much Noctus¡¯ guidance had helped in her life.


    ¡°Look, I want to protect the two you send my way. They both seem like great guys,¡± she explained. ¡°But I can clearly see that I am in way over my head. Vindict is gone and some secret group is trying to kill me. If you want to disown me as one of your Chosen, fine. I failed because I value my life.¡±


    The black mass remained expressionless, but Lilith could feel a sense of smugness radiating off of it. Suddenly the ooze receded from the head, revealing a human face beneath. Lilith almost rolled her eyes at seeing the god take on the form of her mentor. Not caring about her reaction, Noctus, imitating his gruff voice, said, ¡°Please remind me, what is Aaron''s favourite saying?¡±


    Now Lilith really rolled her eyes. ¡°We are not doing this.¡± When Noctus¡¯ expectant grin didn¡¯t disappear she groaned and recited, ¡°Better to live another day than to die a hero.¡± The god nodded along, which was made weird by the fact that his head didn¡¯t fit the rest of the body.


    ¡°Your mentor is by no means perfect, far from it, but on this point, I must agree with him. I will not punish you for saving your life,¡± Noctus explained. The grin, which did not fit Aaron, stayed. ¡°However, the way things are going I give you¡­ approximately 5 hours before you die. That¡¯s not a threat, it¡¯s a fact. You have already seen all the signs. If you want to stop all of this, I will advise you to help your new friends. Either way, we¡¯ll see each other soon enough. Good luck.¡±


    Suddenly, Lilith was back in her body moving away from the center of Seran. She glared at the sky and the Deathstalkers before swearing like a sailor and turning around.

 Fighting my (literal) inner Demon

    The facilities of the Institution were known for a lot of things. Hectic was one of them. Usually, every part of a facility was filled with Knowledge Seekers and Enforcers, all trying to finish their tasks as quickly as possible. All this to say, seeing an entire section of a facility silent was more than unusual.


    The silence was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Three people were making their way down the empty halls. At the front was Facility Lord Werth, followed by two loyal Enforcers. He was the reason for this emptiness. As Facility Lord, it was his job to manage the day-to-day runnings of the facility. Assigning personnel so that this section would remain empty for an hour had been laughably simple.


    As Werth headed towards his goal he couldn¡¯t help but think about the message he had received shortly after his talk with the Champion. ¡°The Exodus shall commence in 12 hours,¡± the voice from the orb had said. ¡°All necessary information has been relaid. Glory to the Engineer of Humanity.¡± That had been 10 hours ago. Werth¡¯s had been preparing from then on out and now there was only one detail missing before his plan could begin.


    He and his two followers stopped in front of the communication chamber, where the first problem popped up. Two Enforcers guarded the entrance and blocked them from entering. ¡°Halt! This room has been restricted by orders of the Administrator. Nobody is allowed to enter without authorisation.¡±


    Werth barely stopped the disdain from showing. It was insulting that these men would rather follow a monster than him. Despite being part of one of the greatest organisations in the world, they seemed to lack common sense. Mind Read showed, without a shadow of a doubt, that these particular Enforcers were more loyal to the Administrator than to him. Luckily there was a simple solution for this.


    The Facility Lord allowed himself a small smile before snapping his fingers. The Enforcer who had just spoken couldn¡¯t even react before a barrage of small stones obliterated his head. His companion tried to raise his weapon but a crossbow bolt to the neck stopped that from ever becoming a reality.


    Werth casually stepped over the still-twitching body, making sure to avoid all the blood. The door to the communication room was magically sealed, but his authorisation card automatically opened it. His two underlings waited outside and made sure that nobody would interrupt him.


    The room was empty, except for the communication orb secured on a pedestal at the center. Without hesitating, Werth infused a bit of his divine essence into the device, making it light up. After a short delay, a bored voice started speaking. ¡°Facility E4, you are requesting contact outside of the scheduled timeframe. What is the reason for this-.¡± The voice cut off. It was replaced by someone else, who sounded more like a construct than a real person. This voice rattled off a series of numbers and letters, which the Facility Lord committed to memory. When the code was done, the orb became inactive again.


    With nothing left to do, Werth turned around and walked out of the room. As he made his way back, the two loyalists followed close behind. Their surface thoughts reeked of excitement. As far as they knew, this was the start of a civil war, that had been long in the making. Both of them were ready to do whatever it took to gain control of this facility.


    Sadly for them, this wasn¡¯t Werth¡¯s plan. While Project Exodus marked the start of a civil war within the Institution, Facility E4 wouldn¡¯t take part in it. No, Seran and this facility would go up in metaphorical flames to further the cause. Only the Facility Lord knew this. Every other loyalist who had helped him here had unknowingly signed their death warrant. Their deaths would be tragic but sacrifices had to be made.


    <hr>


    Darkness was everywhere. Probably, because my eyes were closed. I was sitting with crossed legs and closed eyes on the bed. The reason for this was to concentrate. After what that strange human had said, waiting was impossible. I didn¡¯t even want to think about the wider implication of his words, other than the fact that I needed to escape. Luckily, he had given me an idea.


    ¡°No unity was achieved.¡± Those had been his words. Furthermore, he had said that the important side was suppressed. Obviously, he meant the demon part of me. So, shouldn¡¯t I try to achieve this unity? The demon had shown how powerful it was when fighting the bandits, so maybe that power would help me escape.


    I opened my eyes. That¡­ sounded extremely dangerous and borderline stupid. It had tried to take control of this body several times and would have succeeded if not for Adam. The demon was dangerous.


    Although, it wasn¡¯t mindless. The meeting/fight with the not-angel had shown me that the entity living inside the mindscape could be reasoned with. Did that make it more dangerous? Absolutely. But, right now I was desperate. I couldn¡¯t escape through my powers and an unknown timer was pressing down on me.


    Before I could question myself any further, I made my decision and appeared in the mindscape. With a thought, I teleported to the top of the wall. My copies ignored me and continued working. Looking across the wasteland, I could see that nothing had changed. The wall of writhing smoke still remained, feeling as dreadful as the last time I had seen it. I knew what I had to do, but that didn¡¯t make me feel any better. With one thought I teleported directly in front of the darkness. Tendrils of smoke reached out to me but stopped before contact.


    ¡°Hey Adam, is what I¡¯m about to do stupid?¡±


    ¡°ADAM does not judge the intelligence behind actions.¡±


    I chuckled. So that was a yes. With a deep breath, which was unnecessary considering the nature of the mindscape, I took the last step.


    I felt a slight resistance, like I was walking through a thin membrane, before the smoke surrounded me. Immediately I could feel my ability to manipulate my surroundings drop. Almost like the smoke was blocking my mental essence, only allowing a trickle to reach me. This also meant that I wouldn¡¯t be able to communicate with Adam.


    Since my visibility was practically zero, I did the only thing I could and walked forward. How did I plan to create this ¡°unity¡± that the human mentioned? I had no idea. This entire operation would rely heavily on improvisation.


    Suddenly, the world around me shifted. The smoke disappeared and a ruined city surrounded me.


    As I looked around I could only imagine how it had looked in its prime. Located in a gigantic forest, where every plant was at least five times as large as in Noctus¡¯ realm, almost all of the homes would have been built on the upper branches. However, the inhabitants wouldn¡¯t have used the forest as just a resource. It would have been a symbiotic relationship with both give and take. A city that lived in harmony with nature.


    The fantasy quickly died as I gazed upon the wreckage of the once-beautiful place. Everything was blackened, no plant having survived what had happened here. The trees, which had once stood tall, were barren and cracked, with most having collapsed under their own weight. Of the homes, only charred wood remained. Every single surface was coated in a thin layer of ash.


    In a daze, I simply wandered through the ruins. What had happened here? Since this was the mindscape, I could assume that this place had been created in this broken state. But why? Did the demon create it? Most likely. But was it a copy of something that existed in the physical world? Maybe.


    My musing was interrupted by a growl. It resonated through the ruins and made my ears ring. If this had been the physical world, I would have blood coming out of my ears. Despite this, I didn¡¯t stop walking towards the center of the ruins, where the sound had come from. If a scary noise was enough to stop me, I wouldn¡¯t even have considered coming here. Finally, I rounded a gigantic tree stump and the source of the growl became clear.


    Before me was a clearing, devoid of anything resembling nature. In the past, this would have been a place to gather, maybe like a marketplace or some sort of sparing ground. Now it was a flat plane, completely covered in ash. All of these were background observations, since my eyes were immediately drawn to the being standing right at the center.


    A couple of days after I was created and still wandering the desert, I had a dream. A dream of a four-legged beast, with claws for fur, ready to eat me. Of course, I now knew that it hadn¡¯t been a dream, but the first appearance of the demon inhabiting this body. And now I was reunited with the beast.


    It stood motionless, towering over me, and watching. At the back of my mind, something clicked. ¡®That¡¯s a wolf¡¯. Sarvad¡¯s memories were slowly bleeding into me and one of them was the name of a very similar creature he once fought. Standing before me was a black wolf. Of course, there were small differences, like its size and the ¡°fur¡±, but the similarities were striking.


    After this rather rational thought, I started to notice some other things. The word ¡°towering¡± didn¡¯t fit in this situation. Yes, the wolf was big, its eyes being on the same level as mine. But I distinctly remembered it being huge. This realisation was followed by me noticing its injuries.


    Three purple bolts, that were the size of my arm, were sticking out of various places on its body. One in the leg, one in the shoulder, and one in the back. Even from here, I could sense Adam¡¯s densely packed mental essence which made up the bolts. Apparently, the demon hadn¡¯t escaped the mind war unscathed. While I couldn¡¯t see any leaking essence, those injuries had to hurt.


    ¡°So, ah¡­ First off, hello,¡± I began speaking. The wolf/demon didn¡¯t move. Not seeing any other option I continued talking. ¡°Maybe I should start by introducing myself. Hello, I am Vindict, the person currently in control of this body.¡± I wasn¡¯t really surprised when there was no reaction. ¡°To be frank, the entire situation here in the mindscape is a mess. I don¡¯t think three consciousnesses fighting in here is normal or healthy. So, we need some way to resolve this.¡± I took an unnecessary breath. To be honest, I had thought about this problem before. Everything about this felt so¡­ unjust. Especially my current ¡®solution¡¯ with Sarvad.


    ¡°The point is, Sarvad, me and you didn¡¯t choose to be in this situation. None of us ¡®deserve¡¯ this body more than the others and fighting over it seems pointless. The only reason I am doing so well is sheer luck, which doesn¡¯t matter when we could all die at any second.¡± Pause.


    ¡°I have a proposal for you. It isn¡¯t perfect, but it¡¯s what we need to stay alive. Lend me your powers. With your help, I can hopefully save us from death. In exchange, we can try and share the mindscape. Not in this constant battle over space, but peacefully. You could even interact more with the physical realm, although, I am not exactly sure how we will accomplish that. Also, Sarvad will hopefully join us later down the line.¡± A moment of silence. ¡°So, do you accept?¡±


    For a long time, the demon didn¡¯t move. With every passing second I got more nervous. This was my best shot at not only saving us but to taking a step towards solving the myriad of internal problems.


    When the answer came, it wasn¡¯t in words. Pressure washed over the entire field and with it came a will. I almost took a step back at the unfamiliar sensation. The demon didn¡¯t speak but I could hear its desire. A battle of strengths. The strong would lead, while the weak followed. I wanted to argue, but I felt its resolution. Words wouldn¡¯t convince it.


    At this realisation, I started assessing my chances. Winning by overwhelming it with mental essence wouldn¡¯t work. Here, at the center of the demon¡¯s power, our minds were at a standstill. Both of us would only be able to use small amounts of mental essence to influence our immediate surroundings. That made this fight very similar to one in the real world. Which meant that my chances were abysmally low. No matter how much Lilith trained me, I wouldn¡¯t be able to match a giant wolf. It may have been injured, but it was still a giant wolf.


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    Another option was to escape. I wasn¡¯t certain, but I gave myself good odds of pulling off an escape. However, that would leave me with no solution and the likely chance of death. But wouldn¡¯t that be better than dying here? My thoughts returned to my first memory. The flowing river that had pulled me along. The pain of not existing. It had been a while since I had actively thought about it. Normally it just occupied a place in my subconscious.


    Suddenly, I became calm. No, I couldn¡¯t avoid this. It was either to face my metaphoric and literal demons or to die trying. I took a step forward and covered myself in a thin layer of mental essence. There wasn¡¯t enough for armour. The wolf growled and also took a step forward. Both of us were ready.


    We began by circling each other. Every step blew ash into the air, but none of us reacted to it. On a normal battlefield, we would both have trouble breathing, but this was the mindscape. The wolf was the first to act.


    The only reason I didn¡¯t die right then and there was because I saw how it tensed its hind legs. That gave me just enough time to leap out of the way of its pounce mostly unharmed. And by that, I mean receiving a cut across my thigh that almost severed my leg and getting launched across the plaza. As soon as I came to a stop I tried to get up. With a wince, I realised that my injured leg radiated coldness. It quickly dissipated, but my essence storage had taken a massive hit.


    When I looked back at my opponent I was surprised that I wasn¡¯t the only one hurt. After landing the wolf had tried to quickly turn around, but one of its legs had collapsed from underneath it. Apparently, jumping with three rods sticking out of your body wasn¡¯t a good idea. That gave me hope. Under normal circumstances, I would have no chance against this beast. Even with all my mental essence, it would have been a challenge. But these injuries presented an opportunity. Now I just needed to figure out how to exploit it.


    With a growl, the wolf slowly stalked forward. It had had enough of this waiting game and wanted to finish the job quickly. I responded by running straight at it. The demon hadn¡¯t expected this and its retaliation came slightly too late. I clumsily rolled under the swipe, landing uncomfortably close to biting distance. Before the jaws of death could close around me I threw out my claw toward its leg. I barely managed to touch the bolt.


    To be honest, I was hedging my bets on something happening. If I couldn¡¯t get access to Adam¡¯s essence then this battle was finished. Luckily I bet right. As my hand brushed against the foreign essence it reacted to my User status. In a split second, I had several options opened up to me.


    The most simple would be to agitate the essence, making it drill deeper into the wolf¡¯s body. A brutal option that would give me the advantage in this fight. I didn¡¯t like it, but my life was on the line. Just as I was about to do it another option opened up. One that was more to my liking, but carried with it countless risks. With less than a second before my head would be no more, I had to make a choice. And with no hesitation, I picked the second option.


    With a thought the bolt dissipated. What remained was a hole that exploded with essence. Before I could react the ruins disappeared.


    A tropical forest of giants was laid out beneath me. The trees stretched into the sky and shone in a vibrant array of colours. It was almost difficult to separate the city from the forest. Its architecture blended into the surroundings and connected a large portion of the trees. The structures didn¡¯t look like they had been built, but more like they had grown out of the trees to house the inhabitants. The entire settlement looked less like a city and more like a giant organism.


    From my bird¡¯s-eye perspective, I could barely make out the figures moving around down there. They may have been taller than a human, but from here they still looked like ants. I frowned. The movements didn¡¯t look like something one would expect from a normal city. It looked a lot more ordered, more¡­ militaristic. I squinted to get a better view. Were they wearing armour? And were those weapons? This wasn¡¯t a normal city. It was a city ready for war.


    Abruptly I was pulled from the vision by a loud howl, which would have shattered my eardrums in the physical world. Here it only made my essence storage dip lower. With no time to grapple with what I had just seen, I analysed what had happened.


    The wolf had stumbled backwards and was twitching uncontrollably. Looking at the hole left behind by the bolt I could see that only a slight trickle of mental essence was pouring out. As I observed the wound it became obvious that it was slowly closing. The twitching was also becoming weaker, the demon seemingly regaining control of its body.


    Before my opponent could regain more power I went for the bolt sticking out of its shoulder. I dodged an errant swipe and ignored a bite that barely missed me. With a jump I managed to reach the bolt, marking the start of a new vision.


    My position above the city hadn¡¯t changed, but this time I focused on its surroundings. The forest looked the same, except that it was covered in shadows. I looked up. Metal monstrosities filled the sky. Behemoths of shining bronze, unlike any flying creature I had ever seen, floated above the forest, surrounding the city.


    Before I had the time to process this, reality split. In front of the city, a hole in reality opened. It reminded me of the crack I had seen shortly after my creation, except the size of a castle. Through it, appeared a building-sized head. If I had a body, I would have probably fainted.


    Seeing this monstrosity, I was very happy that the demon in the mindscape only shared that thing¡¯s appearance and not its size. Staring into the eyes of the giant wolf made another difference very clear. The eyes of my demon showed its cunning and domineering nature. The eyes of this demon only showed insanity and hate.


    Just before the vision ended, a much smaller crack in reality opened up next to me. A humanoid figure encased in golden armour stepped through it. Six glowing wings unfurled behind it and chased away the darkness. The demon growled. The figure raised its arms.


    After returning to my body, I found myself lying on my back, with several wounds that were slowly healing. If I had to guess, the demon had accidentally knocked me away during its seizure. Luckily I wasn¡¯t the only one injured, as shown by the howling of my adversary.


    ¡°Only one more bolt to go,¡± I muttered as I got up. Although, maybe nothing would happen after I dissolved all three of them. All of this was more of a gamble, based on a feeling I couldn¡¯t place.


    Before I could attack for a third time the wolf recovered. I expected the demon to go on the offensive immediately, but instead, it stayed crouched in one place and stared me down. It looked wary of me as if it didn¡¯t know what exactly I had done. The only movement it exhibited came from the claws on its back, which randomly grasped at the air.


    Slowly, it inched closer to me. I did the same. The demon was more cautious in its approach, but its body also moved more fluently than before. Unhindered by the bolts it would be even faster. This was demonstrated by our next couple of exchanges. Instead of charging straight at me, it settled for swiping at me anytime I got close. This cautious approach left me with no opening to go for the bolt in its back.


    I could have created a weapon for myself, but that wouldn¡¯t have been helpful. Fighting it with a dagger would be useless, not just because of its size, but because I would have to get close. Any bigger weapon would substantially impact my mental essence, which I needed for taking hits. Moreover, I wouldn¡¯t even know how to fight with any other weapon. ¡®When I see Lilith again I need to ask her to teach me a different weapon.¡¯


    After another couple of minutes of these exchanges, I knew that I had to do something. This was a war of attrition and I was losing. After taking some glancing blows my mental essence was at around 10%. The realisation came quickly. My only chance was one final all-or-nothing attack. Before my doubts could put a stop to this idea, I charged.


    This time the wolf expected my approach. The demon took a couple of steps backwards and readied itself. If I continued charging forward, it would bite me in two. If I tried to dodge, the claws would be ready to eviscerate me.


    Shortly before reaching biting range, I jumped. In any other situation, this would be stupid. The wolf was ready and now I couldn¡¯t change my momentum. It would take a bite out of my torso and I would die. This would be the case in the physical world.


    I could practically feel the surprise radiating off of the wolf when a small platform appeared beneath my feet. It immediately tried to contest my use of mental essence but it didn¡¯t work. The demon wasn¡¯t a creature of the mind. And while I wasn¡¯t one as well, I had the best teacher/assistant one could ever ask for.


    My foot landed on the platform and I jumped again. The wolf quickly recovered and tried to bite me. It partially worked. With a crunch, I lost control of my legs. However, the rest of my body flew over my opponent¡¯s head and landed on its back. The claws slashed at my body, but with my last remaining strength, I touched the bolt.


    The world was on fire. I stood amid an inferno consuming the city. Screams rang out as buildings collapsed and trees toppled over. Above me, two titans clashed. Every time the demon moved reality trembled and cracks opened up. I saw one of the inhabitants getting bisected by a tear opening up inside of them. From these tears, monstrosities pulled themselves into the physical world and contributed to the carnage.


    However, these monsters weren¡¯t uncontested. Every time one of the creatures emerged, a group of winged beings would descend from the sky and engage it in battle. They also targeted the metal behemoths in the sky, which retaliated by using a litany of different weapons. As I watched, one of these metal giants, which had bombarded its surroundings with some sort of red beam, was brought down and crashed somewhere behind the city. The ground shook and more trees collapsed. Staring at one of the winged beings, I couldn¡¯t help but make the comparison to the not-angels. So, were these just regular angels? It didn¡¯t matter.


    But the most chaos wasn¡¯t caused by the angels, the metal giants, or even the demon. No, the king of this carnage was undoubtedly the creature of light. It looked like a second sun had risen into the sky and now rained flames and death onto the city. Every tree-top had caught fire from simply being near the creature and it looked like even the tears in reality were being burned away. Every time the figure pushed back the demon another part of the city collapsed.


    Suddenly, my eyes were drawn towards a small object falling from the sky. It was a claw. A very familiar claw that had been cut off of the demon. It, together with other claws of various sizes, were falling from the sky, while also damaging the fabric of reality. Most of them quickly burned up in the fire or were snatched away by the otherworldly monstrosities. However, the claw in my focus simply fell to the ground.


    As I watched, a robed figure suddenly appeared next to it. A human hand grabbed the claw and, as fast as they had appeared, vanished. All of it occurred in less than three seconds.


    As the third vision ended I realised that I was dying. Both of my legs were gone, my essence storage was empty and I couldn¡¯t move. The demon stood a couple of paces away and just stared. All three bolt wounds had closed, leaving it unharmed. A couple of seconds passed. With every moment another small part of my body disintegrated. I could feel the wolf¡¯s confusion. Another couple of seconds passed.


    Suddenly, the will controlling the area disappeared. Immediately my connection with Adam was reestablished. They assessed the damage, which was severe, and started sending mental essence. Bit by bit my body reassembled itself. The demon continued to keep its distance.


    When the process was finished, I took a deep breath. That had been too close. Every fibre of my being was screaming at how stupid I had been, but I just smiled. It had worked.


    I glanced at my former adversary. The wolf wasn¡¯t calm, but at least I didn¡¯t sense any overt aggression. When I approached it, its claws became agitated and it growled. I immediately stopped getting closer. While we weren¡¯t friends, far from it actually, this was still an improvement. I smiled gently, trying to communicate my peaceful intention.


    ¡°Look, what I said before the fight was true. I don¡¯t want this to be a simple exchange. I want this to be the first step towards peaceful coexistence. Will there be problems? Of course. But we will work to fix them.¡±


    The wolf looked doubtful but didn¡¯t raise any objections. With a thought, I communicated my intentions to Adam. They didn¡¯t raise any objections, which made me a lot more confident.


    With that, I waved at the wolf to show that I had to go. After all, there had been a very pressing reason for why I went through with this ordeal. Hopefully, working together would give us a chance at surviving.


    As I opened my eyes, I immediately noticed a difference. The vision from my left eye felt a lot more detailed. Not in the way of sharper vision, but more like I could see the building blocks of reality, which made up everything. It reminded me of the time I had transmuted stone into glass in the mindscape, but more complicated. I blinked. That would take getting used to.


    Moreover, I could feel the wolf¡¯s presence more clearly in the back of my mind. Instead of being confined to the mindscape, it could now see the world through my left eye. Its emotions were hard to parse, but I could sense that it was happy. Only time would tell if this development was good, but right now I was happy.


    Smiling, I glanced at my claw. Outwardly it hadn¡¯t changed, but there was a new power hidden beneath the surface. With a thought, I asked the demon to lend me its power. There was some reluctance at letting me control the power, but it was trumped by the desire to affect the physical world.


    I moved my claw and reality split. A small crack had opened and increased in size as I moved the claw. Before it could get too big I deactivated the power. I had seen what could come out of these holes if they were large enough. While I didn¡¯t understand much about the structure of reality, I knew letting these monsters into the physical world would be bad.


    Without any further hesitation, I pushed my claw into the blue barrier. Like previously, it stopped me from getting all the way through. Then I activated the power and the resistance disappeared. The runes in the frame lit up before fading out. The barrier was gone.


    I readied myself and stepped outside. Time to escape and hopefully get some answers.

 Of Rogues, Death and Monsters

    ¡°Identification and reason for visit?¡± the guard asked in a bored tone. The woman on the cart rolled her eyes. ¡°Do we have to do this every time? I literally come by two times a week.¡±


    ¡°Identification and reason for visit?¡± the guard repeated in the exact same tone. Annoyed the woman answered, ¡°Mey Rose, delivering a shipment of baked goods from the Baker¡¯s Association of Seran.¡± The guard nodded and signed for another guard to check the shipment. After briefly glancing at the boxes, he gave the go-ahead to let the cart through.


    Grumbling, the woman guided the lemac pulling the cart through the gate and towards an area of the courtyard where various shipments were being unloaded. Once there, she jumped off, scratched the animal behind its ears, and went to talk to someone in charge.


    It was a busy day in the castle, with many shipments being delivered from all across the city. With her absence, the cart lost any sort of uniqueness and became just one among many. Nobody had time to focus on anything besides their own work, let alone a singular cart. The figure that quickly jumped out of it and joined the workers in carrying various boxes was simply too inconsequential for anybody to notice.


    Pecta tried his best to not look around as he carried a random box he had grabbed into a storage room. He was just one of many workers trying to earn a few coins. The servants directing them had no reason to be suspicious of him, and he wanted to keep it that way.


    On their way back to the courtyard he purposely let himself fall behind. As a servant glanced at him he bent down to tie his shoes. When Pecta was sure that nobody was focused on him, he quickly scurried down a different hallway and into an unlocked room. A restroom to be exact, which was luckily unoccupied.


    Before doing anything else he simply took a deep breath and thanked Persa for her grace. This was his first and hopefully last time infiltrating a castle. However, considering the place he was sneaking into, it had been surprisingly easy. Hiding in a cart heading for the castle just before it departed hadn¡¯t been a problem. Then the brief check by the guards had surprised him with how lax it had been. Considering the crackdown in the rest of the city he had expected more. Well, he wasn¡¯t going to complain about things going his way.


    Centring himself, he thought about his objective. The cultists, or whatever they were, hadn¡¯t entered the castle through the main gate, but a side entrance. Sadly for him, sneaking through it undetected would have been impossible. He had checked, there were as many guards as at the gate and they only let very specific people through. Now that he was in the castle, he had to locate where that side entrance led and see if he could go there from inside the castle.


    Pecta was about to leave when he spotted his reflection in the mirror. The man staring back at him looked surprisingly calm and collected. But what stopped Pecta were the eyes. Those eyes belong to a man who would continue to fight for what was right, no matter the cost.


    He let out a self-deprecating chuckle. Where had that confidence been when he had truly needed it? Where had it been when he had suffered under his mother or fled from the Children? He stopped that train of thought before the past could consume him. Not today. Today he would help a soul in need and do what was right.


    Before he could do anything else, the door opened. A man dressed in a servant uniform walked in while humming a merry tune. He was halfway to one of the stalls before noticing Pecta. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± The servant asked surprised, while eying his dirty worker garb. Pecta scratched his head and tried to appear embarrassed.


    ¡°Ah, sorry my friend. Got a bit lost while working, since it''s my first time here. It¡¯s truly amazing how you guys can find your way around. Would you mind telling me where I can find the rest of my group?¡±


    The older man frowned, his surprise morphing into irritation. ¡°Do you think I have nothing better to do, than being a babysitter for some idiot?¡± he angrily stated. ¡°By Abnar¡¯s light, do they not teach you how to follow orders in the slum?¡± Pecta tried to retain the smile, even though the servant was making it very difficult. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for causing you any trouble, good man. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll find my way back.¡±


    He tried to leave the bathroom but the older man blocked him while scowling. ¡°I know your kind. As soon as you¡¯re out of my sight, everything that isn¡¯t nailed down will disappear. No, you stay here, while I call someone to escort you out.¡± The servant turned around and headed towards the exit to call a guard. But before he could even grab the doorknob, Pecta rushed forward and punched him in the bag of the head.


    He had purposely restrained his punch, which made it even more surprising when the man collapsed like a sack of potatoes. Pecta winced as he hit the ground. ¡°Shit.¡± He quickly checked his vitals before sighing in relief. Everything seemed to be fine. The man may have been an asshole but, to be fair, Pecta was currently trespassing. Even if it was for a good cause.


    As he dragged the man into one of the stalls, his eyes landed on the servant''s garment. Pecta groaned as an idea took shape in his head. ¡°Great goddess Persa, I hope you can forgive me. I swear, stealing this man¡¯s clothes helps a good cause,¡± he whispered before proceeding with his plan. Before Pecta left, he placed most of the money that he had next to the unconscious man. Hopefully, he would be able to buy something for the headache once he woke up.


    Soon an ordinary servant left the bathroom. A couple of people gave him weird looks for constantly muttering prayers, but otherwise, nobody noticed him.


    <hr>


    Casek winced as the wall behind him shook. A quick look showed that the iron door separating him from the monstrosity inside was still there. Just as he was about to turn back more banging made the hall tremble. ¡°By the gods, does this thing ever calm down?¡± He muttered.


    His partner, Hedrik, scoffed at the remark. ¡°Of course not. All the things that are contained this deep are never calm. They will always gladly rip you limb from limb if they get the chance.¡± Casek shuddered and tried to ignore the continued banging. Hedrik glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. ¡°How long have you been an Enforcer?¡±


    ¡°5 years, if I remember correctly,¡± he answered. ¡°Usually I¡¯m just on standard guard duty, but for some reason, I was assigned this post today. The only knowledge I have of the monsters down here is from rumours.¡±


    Hedrik chuckled and decided to pity his partner. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, basically every rumour about this place is exaggerated.¡± Casek raised an eyebrow. ¡°So, that comment about the monsters ripping me limb from limb was also exaggerated?¡±


    ¡°Oh, absolutely not. They would kill you,¡± answered the older Enforcer nonchalantly. As Casek¡¯s face lost a bit more colour he decided to elaborate. ¡°But the chance of them getting out is basically nonexistent. In my 7 years of working on this level, there have been only two incidents and both of them ended with minimal deaths. It also helps that there are currently just three subjects contained here.¡±


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Thank you, that didn¡¯t help my fears,¡± Casek muttered. His partner chuckled but otherwise didn¡¯t react. As more time passed, only the banging resounded through the halls. Surprisingly, Casek started getting used to it. It was amazing how quickly a human brain could adapt to any situation. He wasn¡¯t relaxed, but most of his fear had dissipated. Then he glanced to his left.


    Hedrik was fantasising about his evening plans when his partner¡¯s voice interrupted him. ¡°H-hey, does one of the subjects happen to be a¡­ floating ball of water?¡± He glanced at Casek, whose face was as white as a sheet. Then his attention was pulled to the monster, making him step back. Casek followed him, just as quickly.


    A water ball the size of a head was floating in the middle of the hallway. Its surface was covered in red splotches, which constantly moved and formed small faces that were staring at them. ¡°Shit, he cursed, while slowly backing up. ¡°How the hell did that thing escape?¡± He glanced at his partner.


    Casek¡¯s body was trembling like a leaf in the wind. Despite this, he had managed to raise his wrist-mounted crossbow. ¡°Should I shoot?¡± He whispered. Hedrik shook his head. ¡°Not now. Your ammunition drains essence, so it can hurt this subject.¡± He took another step back. ¡°But we would be dead before this thing is even halfway drained.¡±


    Casek backed away further. ¡°So what do we do?¡± During all of this, the ball hadn¡¯t moved. The older guard sighed dejectedly. ¡°Standard procedure is to back away slowly and to wait for a mage. That usually stops the orb from killing people.¡± He glanced at his partner. ¡°Don¡¯t move too quickly and we will both make it out of this alive. Then we can find the fool who let this thing escape and show them our gratitude.¡± He didn¡¯t mention that the blood splatters on the ball likely meant that this fool wouldn¡¯t be very receptive to their gratitude.


    As both of them inched towards the exit, a slimmer of hope grew in their minds. Every step away from that thing brought them closer to salvation. But their hope was quickly dashed when the runes on the door that they had been guarding lit up. Before any of them could react the door flew off its hinges and imbedded itself into the opposing wall. Out stepped a grotesque abomination of muscles and tumours that barely resembled a human.


    This was too much for Casek. He screamed and tried to run away. Before he could take more than a couple of steps, blood exploded from his pores. Hedrik could only watch as it was slowly pulled towards the ball of water, which grew bigger. All that remained of his partner was a dry husk that collapsed to the ground.


    Hedrik knew his end was coming, so he did the only thing he could do. He raised his crossbow and started shooting. Two bolts hit the orb, which stopped floating and fell to the ground. That was all he could manage before the brute charged him. The last thing he saw was a giant fist before everything went dark.


    <hr>


    Eleura was having a great day before everything went to shit. Her mood today was so high, that she even allowed herself the occasional smile. One of her main problems had been solved and all it had cost were a couple of coins. Now she was writing a report to the Overseers, explaining everything that had happened. Of course, most of what she wrote down was a lie to make herself look as good as possible.


    How did the subject escape? Facility Lord Milgram betrayed the Institution and somehow pulled his entire facility into the abyss. The subject barely managed to escape.


    How was the subject recontained? Eleura personally led the search and orchestrated the capture.


    Why didn¡¯t Eleura report about this sooner? Well, she was still looking for a viable answer to this question.


    As the cherry on top, she dedicated a long section of the report to Facility Lord Werth¡¯s ¡°suspicious¡± behaviour and how he tried to stop her from doing her job. This would hopefully get him demoted or, if she was lucky, executed.


    She was about to add the finishing touch to her report when the door to her office flew open. A Knowledge Seeker burst through while cradling his limp arm. His robe was ripped in multiple places and covered in blood and dust. Despite looking awful, he managed to remain standing and even saluted her.


    ¡°There has been a breach in the lower level, Administrator. Somehow the runes malfunctioned and now most, if not all, subjects on the lower levels have escaped. What are your orders?¡± Eleura wanted to curse but restrained herself. The timing of this breach was awful and it was a problem, but it could have been worse. All three subjects contained in the maximum security sector of this facility were manageable. A bunch of people would die, but the losses could be replaced.


    ¡°Where are the Facility Lord and the Head Facility Enforcer?¡± Eleura asked while getting ready to leave. She hoped to not have to join the fight, but if it turned out to be necessary then she would. The Knowledge Seeker was hesitant to answer her question, which made it obvious that something was unusual. ¡°Facility Lord Werth¡¯s location is unknown. Nobody has reported seeing him, but the current situation is chaotic. Head Facility Enforcer Entor is trying to organise the Enforcers but there seem to be complications.¡±


    The Administrator couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. How convenient. An emergency occurs and Werth is nowhere in sight. She didn¡¯t know his exact plan, but that couldn¡¯t be a coincidence. The idea that he caused this escape briefly flashed through her mind before she dismissed it. Werth was a lot of things, but insane wasn¡¯t one of them. Besides, this was his facility, so the fault would land at his feet.


    However, there being a problem with Entor was strange. That man was competent and loyal to the cause. Even if some of his men were too beholden to the Facility Lord. In the end, it didn¡¯t matter. She would get out there and figure it out. Having prepared everything, she stood up and headed for the exit. ¡°Lead me to Entor.¡±


    Before the Knowledge Seeker could comply, he let out an anguished cry as he stumbled forward and collapsed. Behind him stood an Enforcer, who had just sliced his back open with a sword. Now he raised his wrist-mounted crossbow and, without hesitation, started shooting.


    Less than a second had passed since the man¡¯s appearance, but that was enough time for Eleura. The Dryam blocked the shots with her bark- and scale-covered arms and immediately went on the attack. Enforcers working for the Institution were talented at fighting and equipped with advanced weaponry, that would make any soldier green with envy. But all that didn¡¯t save the Enforcer from the Administrator¡¯s wrath.


    Eleura was also highly skilled, and Dryam¡¯s had physical advantages over humans. But what sealed the deal were her artefacts. All of them were her own creations and turned her into a real monster in combat.


    As soon as the fight started, a green aura encased her, boosting all her physical capabilities. Then as she rushed at the man, her bracelet became active. Suddenly he found it harder to move, as if something was inhibiting the signals from his brain to his muscles. Despite this, the Enforcer raised his sword. ¡°GLORIA PRO HUMANITA!¡± he cried out, trying to hit her. Before he could even finish his swing, Eleura¡¯s fist hit his chest.


    A cracking sound resounded through the room, as his chest folded inward. The strike launched him out of Eleura¡¯s office and into the reception hall, where he lay sprawled on the ground, trying to inhale air into lungs that had been turned into paste. The Administrator followed and glared down at his gurgling form. Before he could do anything else, she stomped on his head, staining the blue carpet red.


    Her assistant peeked from the desk she had been hiding behind. She asked the Administrator something, but Eleura wasn¡¯t listening. It all made sense now. The difficulties, Werth¡¯s attitude, and this breach. It all was their fault. ¡°Gloria pro humanita,¡± she muttered. An old phrase associated with a cancer that had been growing inside the Institution since its inception. An ideology of worship and a sense of superiority.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Without the babbling of her assistant, her thoughts became clearer. She didn¡¯t know how many traitors were in this facility, but it seemed like Werth had helped them infiltrate the Enforcers. A thorough purge would be necessary to find all of them. This would require resources that she currently didn¡¯t have.


    She needed outside assistance to stop this, but considering the remote location, it would take some time for the rest of the Institution to send help. No, what she needed to do was to quarantine the entire facility. Nobody could be let out unless their allegiance was certain. For that, she would require the help of the City Lord and his guards. He would help her, since this entire situation, if it got out of control, would jeopardise his position.


    Her thoughts wandered to Sarvad, or whatever had become of him. Quarantining the facility would mean risking his life. If he died, then all of her efforts would count for nothing. Luckily, nobody knew of the importance of the subject. Well, her current assistant knew, but she couldn¡¯t talk about it. There was no need for a repeat of the fate her first assistant had suffered.


    Furthermore, Eleura was the only one who could deactivate the barrier trapping the subject, as it was keyed to her signature. All in all, she believed the risks to be minimal.


    Without even glancing at her assistant she strode out of the reception hall. It was time to finally solve this problem for good.

 Escape from the Creators (Part 1)

    After escaping from the cell, I quietly explored my surroundings. What I found were several identical cells, all of them empty. Apparently, I had been the only prisoner in this part of wherever I was. There were a couple of non-cell rooms, but they were also empty. With one exception.


    In what seemed to be a small storage closet, I found most of my stuff. The armour, the dagger, and even the three books were stored on a shelf, so I quickly took them. The only thing missing was the money, but that wasn¡¯t important right now.


    Equipped and ready, I stood in front of a heavy iron door. The horned woman, Eleura, had come from here. I had also heard other voices when she entered, which made it likely that somebody was standing guard outside. ¡°Any chance you guys know another way out of here?¡± I asked. Adam didn¡¯t respond, but I could sense the demon¡¯s eagerness. A mere door would not stand in its way.


    ¡°By the way, do you have a name I could call you?¡± I asked it. The demon didn¡¯t hear or ignored my question, not letting itself be distracted by me. Shaking my head I quit stalling. Stretching out a talon, I infused my claw. As silently as possible I used it to create a small hole in the door to look outside.


    All I could make out was another empty corridor. Repeating the process multiple times, I concluded that nobody was guarding the door. An unexpected blessing, even if it was a bit strange. Considering the effort they had gone through to capture me, I expected a bit more security.


    Getting through the door was also easier than expected. I simply infused my claw again and cut an opening into it, which I crawled through. To do this, I had to wait for the hole of ¡°un-reality¡± that resulted in the use of my power to slowly close, which was extremely nerve-wracking. Knowing that something could jump out at me wasn¡¯t very helpful for my mental health.


    After crawling through and getting up, I carefully scanned the corridor. Bland yellow walls, glowing stones in the ceiling, and more doors. The conclusion: I had no idea where to go.


    Suddenly, a pain shot through my demonic arm, making me wince. Looking down I couldn¡¯t see anything out of the ordinary. The sharp pain slowly receded, leaving behind a dull ache. Frowning, I tried to make sense of the situation. Did the demon do something? Probably not, since I couldn¡¯t detect a change in its emotions. It was still enthusiastic after cutting apart reality. No, the more likely explanation was that my body simply couldn¡¯t handle using these powers for too long.


    Oh well, that was a problem I currently couldn¡¯t solve, so there was no use overly worrying about it.


    Before doing anything else I needed to decide on my goal. Obviously, escaping was the priority. I had no idea what these people wanted with me, but it definitely wasn¡¯t anything good. The cryptic words from that strange man about the destruction of Seran only heightened my desire to escape. But getting out of here wasn¡¯t my only goal. Fili Ocul was somehow responsible for bringing me into this world, and I needed to know more. Something had gone wrong, but what had been the purpose of the experiment?


    My thoughts also wandered to Sarvad. They had bought and tortured him, turning the child into a man seeking revenge. Didn¡¯t he deserve justice? Didn¡¯t I owe it to him? I unintentionally stole his body and locked him up inside the mindscape. My guilt was only slightly lessened by the fact that he had been trying to kill me.


    I sighed in resignation. All of these were valid points, but surviving needed to be my main priority. Since I didn¡¯t know where the exit was, I had to follow the corridor and hope for good luck. Getting through the doors would take too much time and was too risky since I didn¡¯t know what was behind them. Choosing a direction at random, I hurried down the corridor, while trying to be as quiet as possible. It didn¡¯t take long for the chaos to start.


    I had been walking for less than a minute when the lights suddenly turned red. Then a blaring alarm cut through the silence, causing me to reflexively cover my ears. It didn¡¯t help. The sound pierced through my entire body. Panicking, I looked around, but couldn¡¯t find the source or the reason for the noise.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Then it got quiet again before a monotone voice started to speak.


    ¡°Warning! A level 6 breach has occurred. All non-combat personnel are to evacuate to the nearest safe room. All Enforcers are to immediately report to their superiors to receive further instructions.¡±


    As soon as the voice stopped speaking, the alarm started blaring again. The message was worrisome, but what caught my attention the most was the voice. ¡°Since when can you speak aloud, Adam? ¡± Adam quickly corrected me.


    ¡°ADAM does not possess the capacity for vocal communication.¡±


    ¡°Then why did that voice sound exactly like you?¡± Adam didn¡¯t seem to have the answers to that question. Shrugging, I focused on the rest of the message. Did this ¡®breach¡¯ refer to me breaking out? Most likely. How did they learn about it so quickly? I shook my head. It was almost hilarious how many things had gone wrong for me, but now wasn¡¯t the time to think about that. All that this thinking accomplished was slowing me down. I continued hurrying along the red-tinged corridor, faster than before.


    I encountered two crossroads along my path. With no way to know which way to go, I chose a direction at random. With every step I took my fear slowly started to rise. What creeped me out the most wasn¡¯t the red light, the monotone corridors, or even the blaring alarm. No, what scared me the most was the emptiness. Several times I thought I heard rapid footsteps and even the sound of a door slamming shut, but never did I see another person.


    That changed when the corridor opened up into a larger area, filled with tables and benches. Probably some sort of eating room, considering the food strewn around on the floor, with only a bit remaining on the tables. Under normal circumstances, I would have been happy to finally see something to eat. But the bodies kind of ruined my appetite.


    Something had ripped apart several people and then scattered their bodies across the entire room. Limbs littered the floor, and blood covered literally everything. Several large splotches on the walls hinted at a very violent altercation. The poor lighting luckily hid most of the details, but the stench still made me retch. ¡®Maybe that breach alert wasn¡¯t warning people about me,¡¯ I thought, as I stared at the massacre. A shiver spread across my claw, but I suppressed it. Now wasn¡¯t the time for the demon to get excited.


    After mentally preparing myself, I covered my nose and slowly walked into the room. There were two other exits and I was tempted to just leave, but logic made me stay. While I had no interest in finding out whatever had done this, maybe there was something here that could help me escape.


    Approaching one of the bodies that was still fairly intact (only two limbs were missing), I knelt beside it. It was the body of a young human man wearing a white (now red) coat. His expression was one of terror, as his empty eyes stared up at the ceiling. Wincing, I gingerly closed them. I didn¡¯t know this human, and he had worked for evil people, but nobody deserved to die like this.


    Despite my empathy, I needed to find a way out of here. After searching all the pockets of his coat, I ended up with a variety of miscellaneous items and, most importantly of all, a crumpled-up map. It took a moment for me to decipher it, not only because of the bad lighting but because it was surprisingly complicated. Apparently, this place was called ¡®Facility E4¡¯ and consisted of five expansive layers. I was inside of a ¡®cafeteria¡¯ on the second floor. The map didn¡¯t give me an overview of everything, as some places were simply labeled as ¡®Insufficient Clearance¡¯, but it showed enough. There were several exits on this layer, with one not very far from here.


    My joy was quickly sapped by what I saw on the first floor. A large area was called ¡®Containment Zone¡¯. ¡°At least I now know where the breach has happened,¡± I muttered, not happy with how close that place was to my location. That probably explained the bodies.


    I was about to put the map into one of my pockets when an idea struck me. ¡°Hey Adam, could you memorise this for me?¡± Some of my mental essence was drained.


    ¡°Memorisation complete. Should ADAM display memorised content?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Adam, that would be nice.¡± Immediately my entire vision was covered by the map. ¡°Wow,¡± I whispered. ¡°It¡¯s fascinating how much you can do.¡± With some finicking, the map only occupied a part of my vision and I could turn it on and off on command.


    After all of that was done, I glanced at the physical map. A frown spread across my mouth. Since when was there a blood stain on the map? I could have sworn that it had been completely clean when I first picked it up. Suddenly another blood drop joined the first. Then another. With a gulp I realised something. Slowly I placed the map on the body and looked up.


    If my face hadn¡¯t been pale before, now it certainly was. ¡®Why do so many bad things happen to me?¡¯ I asked myself, as I stared at the writhing mass of tentacles on the ceiling. Another drop of blood dripped down and landed on my cheek.