The air inside an abandoned mid-ring warehouse didn’t ripple—it just grew suddenly cold.

Roy didn’t look up from his seat on the wooden crate as the shadows near the far wall split open.

Alisa stepped out of the dark, her traveling cloak stained with gray volcanic soot.

Her long, midnight-tipped ears flicked twice, checking the empty street behind her, before she sank into a deep kneel.

"Master Jarden," she whispered with a smile, her forehead resting against the damp floorboards. "The pens are clear. The black spotted Frog-kin are out."

"And the streets?" Roy asked.

Alisa rose, keeping her arms tucked beneath her cloak and her gaze low. "A mess. Manuses locked the city down. The grand gates are dropped, and they’ve set up bottlenecks at every terrace ramp." She inhaled deeply. "The market enforcers are running around like headless chickens trying to find where the slaves went."

A thin, sharp smirk broke through her usual stoic expression. "But they aren’t looking up. Just as you predicted, the Great Luna Pack has already taken the eastern alleys."

Roy leaned his chin on his hand, his dual-colored eyes catching the faint amber light coming through the roof cracks. "How are they handling the soldiers?"

"They’re hunting in threes," Alisa said, her voice dropping an octave. "I watched them from the high vents. Five Orc enforcers walked into the eastern trench, fully armored with their iron axes out. They didn’t even get to scream."

She leaned in slightly, the memory making her silver-ringed eyes flash. "One wolf dropped from the smog, cutting the captain’s throat before his boots hit the ground. The other two came from the blind spots. Clean, heavy slashes right through the leather under-armor. It took less than ten seconds."

"Any noise?"

"None. Twelve sentry posts are just... gone," Alisa confirmed, a trace of pride creeping into her tone. "The wolves are dragging the bodies into the deeper drainage pipes. They’re harvesting the mana cores on the spot." She paused for a second.

"Right now, the Orc command thinks they’re dealing with a massive, organized slave rebellion. They have no idea a full vanguard of apex predators is sitting inside their perimeter."

Roy stood up, brushing a speck of dust off his black coat. The golden particles of his sun-fly manifestation began to pool around his fingertips, humming faintly in the silence of the warehouse.

"Eurenia is keeping them on a tight leash," Roy murmured, looking up toward the massive volcanic palace jutting into the smoggy sky. "But a mysterious faction of Hyena-men are sneakily attacking the forces of Tempest City, they don’t seem to be cooperating with the Pack," she reported.

"The vanguard has them blind, the docks are fractured, and the local gangs are turning on each other. The board is ready."

He looked back at Alisa, his smile turning cold.

"Stay in the shadows. I’m going to go see how well our Tiger Lord sleeps during a lockdown."

Hours before he set Alisa loose, Roy had already briefed her on the situation, informing the dedicated follower that the Great Luna Pack also serves the god she worships.

This created a sense of kinship in Alisa’s heart while she observes from the shadows. "Master Jarden..." Alisa called before Roy could exit the scene.

"What is it?" Roy turned slightly. "Nothing..." Alisa stepped forward, "I was just worried about that old man."

"Old man?" Roy’s brows slightly furrowed. "Are you talking about that Frogman cultivator?" he asked.

"Yes," Alisa sighed, "Since we set them loose, they have completely hidden themselves, I could no longer sense that old frogman."

"Forgive my inability." She bowed her head in shame. Roy’s lips curled faintly, "That’s not an issue." He exhaled a deep sigh.

"It’s not an issue?" Alisa asked. "Yes," Roy nodded. "I know where the Frogmen are currently hidden."

"That old man is no ordinary cultivator, for him to completely erase the presence of not only himself but his people."

"He should be at least a cultivator of the Martial General realm." Roy smirked, "Do not fret. My eyes are on that man."

"I’m just bidding my time," Roy explained.

"Bidding your time?" Alisa frowned. "Why?" she asked.

Roy’s eyes flickered for a moment. "Alisa," he called calmly, "How many cultivators do you think are in this city?" he asked.

"Uhmm," Alisa paused, "Excluding myself, Lady Eurenia and that old Frogman cultivator, there should be around three more cultivators," she answered.

"No," Roy shook his head, "It’s seven. The city’s ruler, Lord Manuses is the only cultivator of the Martial General realm while the rest are low-level cultivators below him."

"Three Martial Masters and four Martial Warriors," Roy explained. "One of the Martial Masters is a direct messenger of the Troll King. The other is the right-hand of the Tiger Lord."

"The last Martial Master leads that mysterious faction of Hyena-men you spoke of just now."

"The four Martial Warriors are all servants of the Tiger-Lord." Roy sighed, "You and Eurenia are still at the bottom of the cultivator’s ranks."

"You guys are outnumbered." Alisa bent her head in shame. The words of Jarden stung her heart, but she refused to cry.

"I’m sorry," she spoke with her head still bent down. "Why are you sorry?" Roy asked.

"I’m sorry for being weak," she whispered, "If I was stronger, you would have simply ordered me to crush every single one of them."

"But I’m too weak to be your sword. I’m really sorry." She sobbed silently. Roy stared at her for a moment.

"There’s no need to be so hard on yourself," Roy sighed. He drew her closer, she laid her head on his chest as he gently caressed her back, comforting her.

"To Varanus, your weakness is not a sin," he stated, "the greater your faith and dedication, the more our god blesses you."

"And besides, even though Varanus truly intends on destroying Tempest City, this city’s still filled with beastmen."

"All beastmen are his children regardless of their race, gender or species. He wants to give them a chance."

"So I’ll be paying the Tiger Lord a visit." Roy smiled. "Huh?" Alisa raised her head, not hiding her shock.

"You’ll visit Lord Manuses?" she asked. "Yeah," Roy nodded.

"Why?" she asked.

"Alisa," Roy grinned, "Like I said, Varanus is the father of all beastmen, the Tiger men are also beastmen so shouldn’t they be given a chance to repent?" he asked.

"I’ll pay the Tiger Lord a visit and offer to him the holy words of our god." He turned around. "What if he refuses to follow Lord Varanus?" she asked..

"Then Tempest City will truly be destroyed."