Eisen looked at Lucien, who sat quietly on a rock near the mines. His clothes were soaked in blood by now.

  Eisen’s thoughts were mixed. Relief that his old contract was gone, fear of what this man really wanted, and uncertainty about his future. He wasn’t naive. There was no kindness without a reason. Still, it felt strangely refreshing. He was lighter now. Free.

  And if what Lucien said about the new contract was true... there might be a loophole.

  Eisen forced a smile.

  “Hey man, aren’t you going to ask me more? About my history, my technique, my background—anything?”

  He only heard silence as response

  “Don’t be like that. You got a know more about me, right? Since I’m your subordinate now. Shouldn’t we exchange info? I mean, I’m definitely interested in you. That, I told you.”

  Lucien replied without even looking at him.

  “In what delusion are you living? I have no interest in you or your past. I was curious about that golem and its weapons, nothing else. I already got what I needed. There's nothing else I want.”

  Eisen was a little shocked. Slightly insulted.

  “Oh. That’s kind of sad, dear sir b—”

  Max's voice cut through as he approached.

  “Oye, brother! You finished the job?”

  Max and Arika walked toward Lucien.

  Max continued, “You sure made a mess of this place. I bet people will be making horror stories about it, I can already imagine some.”

  Arika snapped, “Shut up. Don’t you dare bother Master with unnecessary gibberish.”

  Max laughed. “Master? When did he level up from Lord to Master?”

  They reached Lucien.

  Arika looked at him, bowed slightly, and spoke.

  “Your orders, Master. Should I now carry on my job?”

  Lucien glanced at her once, then answered.

  “Yes. Go collect your people. Count how many are there. Write their names. Use the carriages here and take them. They should know the way back home, right? From there, my golem will lead them to the new village.”

  Arika, holding back emotion, hesitated, then asked.

  “And what about the others?”

  Lucien answered plainly.

  “Didn’t we already discuss this? Tell them to go back wherever they want. It’s not our business.”

  Arika pressed again.

  “Can we help them return to their places safely, too?”

  Eisen interrupted.

  “Being a slave, or just a captive, is not an easy thing. Many of them have been here since birth. Some were abducted as children. Village raids. You can guess the rest. Women, men... most don’t even have a place to return to. And even if they do, you think society will accept them? The defiled girls and women? The broken men? These people only know trauma and obedience. If you let them go, they’ll just be claimed by new masters. Don’t insult them with your half-assed kindness. Don't give them false hope.”

  Max whistled. “Oh? Who’s this guy?”

  He casually tried to throw his arm around Eisen’s shoulder, but Eisen immediately slapped it away. He backed off, a little sweaty, voice shaky, muttering just under his breath.

  “Don’t touch. Don’t touc—”

  He immediately caught himself and regained composure, this time speaking with forced calm and false confidence.

  “Who said you can get all friendly with me, you laughing chimp?”

  Max didn’t take it well.

  He pointed a finger. A water bubble formed at the tip, unstable and sharp.

  “Oye oye... who the fuck do you think you are to talk like that?”

  The air shifted. Tension rising.

  Arika hesitated. Unsure. She looked at Lucien, who didn’t even glance in their direction.

  He was letting it play out.

  Arika understood.

  She stepped forward, pulled her dagger, and pointed it at Max.

  “Stop. Right now. I order you.”

  Max stared at her. “You serious? You’re going to stop me? You—who couldn’t even look at dead bodies without gagging? You were talking about revenge and killing. Where’s that spirit now? You haven’t even wielded it properly.”

  He pointed at her. “Go on. Try. I want to see how you stop me.”

  Arika’s hands shook not with fear, but from all the resolve she could summon. She held both daggers firm.

  “I command you, Max Sinclair. Don’t test my patience.”

  Max grinned. Both fingers pointed. One toward her. One toward Eisen.

  Eisen said nervously, “Come on, let’s not do something stupid here...”

  .

  Max fired.

  A sharp, high-pressure beam of water shot at Arika.

  She dodged, moved in, and jumped with her dagger aimed at Max’s throat.

  He caught her wrist midair. Charged another blast. Arika closed her eyes, bracing.

  But this time, it was just regular water. A small splash.

  Max burst out laughing.

  “Hahahaha! Scared you, didn’t I? Damn. Not bad. You’ve got guts.”

  He let her go.

  Arika stepped back, soaked and irritated. “What was that? Some kind of test?”

  Max grinned. “Nope. I just like bluffing. Nothing else. I wasn’t going to hurt you. Forget killing—clearly, I can’t. But still, I respect your courage.”

  Then he looked at Eisen.

  “You, though... you’re a different case. Thank this young lady. She just saved your life.”

  Eisen muttered, “What a clown. If I was at my peak, I’d crush you like a fly.”

  Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

  Arika exhaled, wiped her face, and turned to Lucien.

  “Moving on. Master Lucien, what do we do with the rest of them? There’s a huge number. We could probably use the manpower for different tasks.”

  Lucien replied plainly.

  “Why do you care about them so much? Why go this far?”

  Arika lowered her eyes.

  “I don’t know. I just feel sad. Conflicted.”

  Lucien stood still for a moment.

  “Then give them two options. First, they can follow your tribe and live in one of the old villages. They’ll get some medical supplies and three months of food. After that, they live however they want. Harvesting, hunting. Whatever. But for anything else—any further help—they’re your responsibility. Your people. Your council. Not us.

  Second, they go wherever they want. You don’t stop them.

  Most important—don’t reveal anything about us to them. You give the choice first. Those who choose to follow you can go. But they only get the same information your tribe already knows. Nothing more.”

  Arika’s shoulders relaxed. A wave of relief hit her.

  She bowed completely.

  “Thank you for your grace and mercy, my lord. Thank you for this generosity. I will keep everything in mind.”

  Lucien stood.

  “I’m leaving for the warehouses. Once your part is done, meet me there. That’s where your actual test begins.”

  Eisen: “Before leaving, would anyone tell me what I’m supposed to do?”

  Max looked at him. “Okay, brother, please tell me—who the fuck is he, and why is this scrawny little boy standing among us?”

  Eisen: “Who did you just call scrawny?”

  Lucien, walking past, said plainly, “He’s just someone who got my attention for a while. Nothing more. He already fulfilled his purpose. He doesn’t matter anymore. Let him go wherever he wants. Kill him if he seems dangerous to you.”

  Eisen: “What? Come on, you put this contract on me. And you’re not even going to use me?” he snapped impulsively.

  Lucien vanished instantly, disappearing with a sharp whiplash.

  Eisen cursed under his breath: “What a bastard… treating me like a door rag.”

  A blade suddenly touched his cheek.

  Arika: “This is your first offense. I’m letting it slide. Try insulting my master again, and the result won’t be good.”

  Max raised an eyebrow. “Seriously, when did he become your master? Do you want to be his student that badly, you’re worshiping him even behind his back?”

  Arika: “What do you know? But truthfully... my conscience already sees Lucien as my master. To be taught by him— that’s what I need.”

  Max sat down on a nearby stone. “Fine, fine. Go do your job.”

  Arika turned and headed toward the barracks, preparing to locate the people and figure out how to address them.

  Eisen, still standing behind, called out: “Would you reserve me a seat? I’ll be going with the first option, most likely.”

  Arika didn’t respond.

  Max looked over. “So what exactly did you do that got my stoic brother curious?”

  Eisen: “Your brother had to rewrite my contract to get that information. What would you give for that?”

  Max: “I’d let you live.”

  Eisen pointed to the ruined golem. “I controlled that thing and fired a few shots at your brother.”

  Max whistled. “Oh wow. Seriously? He broke every bit of it. You really got your ass handed to you, didn’t you?”

  Eisen smirked. “Laugh all you want. I should take my leave now. Doesn’t seem like your brother has any interest in me anymore.”

  He started walking toward the mines.

  Max: “Feeling like a used toy, are you? ”

  Eisen:” No not at all, if anything I am feeling more human to be true I was feeling more like a toy till now, I thank your brother for showing me this unnecessary kindness”

  Max:”He most probably used you for some sort of test of his, Some sort of new technique, maybe. He was behaving weird today with all that blindfold thing, did you see it “

  Eisen:” I did see it, but I thought it was some sort of artifact”

  Max:” artifact seriously have ever seen any artifact in your life”

  Eisen:” Definitely more than you “

  Max laughed at this:” sure, in your dream”

  Eisen started to move toward mines

  Max:” Why are you going, inside?”

  Eisen: “I might grab some diamonds and minerals while I’m here. They’d help me a lot.”

  Max: “Come on. No normal place takes diamonds for groceries. You can’t sell them legally without notifying the authorities, and I doubt the illegal ones would bother paying you.”

  Eisen: “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I should rob whatever cash is left here as well. I’ll need some materials as well if I want to build it back. Think that girl will let me have a carriage to myself?”

  Max: “Huh. You’re following us? I thought you’d be going your own way, loaded with diamonds and cash.”

  Eisen: “Didn’t I say it already? Most people here don’t have a place to go. I happen to be one of them. Though, I don’t plan to live with the others. I’ll just pitch a tent somewhere else in the mountains. Hah. Can’t believe I just said that. Freedom feels... wonderful, doesn’t it?”

  Max: “Tell me the location. I’ll send a few bears to welcome you and make sure you’re comfortable.”

  Eisen: “Help carry all this, and I’ll give you a good diamond.”

  Max: “Not interested. My family already owns eight diamond mines, each three times bigger than this one.”

  Eisen’s eyes widened, clearly shocked. “Eight? Seriously?”

  Max: “Just the ones we bother mining. We don’t care much for diamonds. Mostly, we’re interested in other resources that—”

  He stopped mid-sentence.

  Eisen paused as he neared the mine’s entrance. He turned slightly, eyes thoughtful.

  [ second target location: warehouses]

  There were two warehouses. Both stood close to each other inside a privately-owned property near the outskirts of the town, barely a few minutes apart on foot. The area was barricaded by stone walls and operated as a hub for slave trading, human trafficking, mafia activity, and small-scale weapon manufacturing.

  Security was heavy.

  It wasn't just men guarding the grounds. Wild animals were part of the patrol units—wolves, hounds, and even alligators.

  Alongside them, monsters were kept for high-level defense: shadow wolves, mutated insects, giant mosquitoes. Their purpose was simple, to make sure no one entered or left without permission from those who ruled it.

  Today, everything was quiet.

  Silenced by one man.

  The animals had sensed him before he arrived. Some ran. Some collapsed from fear. Others were slaughtered like cattle. The monsters were no challenge. He killed them in seconds. Those that remained avoided him altogether.

  As for the men, they fell like leaves in autumn.

  Lucien didn’t waste movement. He cut through them without expression, without hesitation.

  But he didn’t kill everything.

  That was intentional.

  He left some structures intact. A few enemies alive. A handful of monsters unconscious.

  He had plans for this place.

  This would be the test ground for Team 3.

  Which meant no one was allowed to leave.

  Now, with the blood settled and the screams long gone, Lucien sat cross-legged at the base of the stone wall.

  “That was enough. I’ve seen what I needed. Now I can start building the real training structure.” he whispered as he looked around area

  His thoughts shifted toward Max and Arika.

  “ My mind is far too noisy today is it because I am rather free today” he said flatly

  Time to refocus.

  He again shifted his gaze to the place and started waiting again.

  Lucien sat on the wall, still, silent.

  The air shifted.

  A sudden blur cut through the sky, a giant bird, wings tucked in like a spear, launched straight at him with full killing intent.

  Lucien didn’t even look.

  His hand shot up.

  He caught it mid-flight by the neck, bones cracking instantly. Its momentum stopped cold. It flapped once then he snapped its beak with one twist and flung the body aside like trash.

  As it stabilized, It fired a beam of flame from its mouth.

  Lucien moved a dashed to the right. The beam missed.

  He took one slash through the air.

  Its head dropped before the flame could fade.

  He kept walking.

  Three more circled above, screeching, wings spread wide.

  They didn’t know yet.

  They were already dead.

  What would you like to see in extra 2