Henry

A mountain of official documents littered the table, with many more on the verge of spilling over. Running a city wasn't easy work. Henry knew that, and yet he dragged his feet every morning to his office. Not for joy, or any vague feeling of accomplishment. He did it because he was good at it. Coming from a family with the burden of servitude to a noble house, he didn't really have any hopes and dreams of his own. But he did begin to take pride in his ability to serve the common masses while appeasing his masters. A delicate balance very few could maintain.

Which is why when he was selected by the mistress of house Lightseeker to guide her wayward son, he finally saw an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of many. He had always wanted to improve the living conditions of his fellow serfs but never got the opportunity. But on the tutorial planet, there was little to no oversight. That gave him an opportunity to take up the entire operation of the newly minted city. Even the challenges due to influx of low-level immigrants were being handled well to some extent. But he had forgotten how vile the schemes of noble houses could get. The hidden machinations ran deep, and he had learned to tread softly around them.

But everything changed the day their new Mayor stepped into the town. Henry was given free rein to run the city as he pleased, with the only expectation being fairness to everyone. A demand he was more than happy to accept. Without the financial burden of catering to the previous Mayor, things had been running smoother than he hoped or expected. All the cunning and guile he had polished up over the decades were used as he brought the local nobility in check and made city wide improvements. Well, Lord Fenrast's open threat and presence did make it a lot easier too. He had never seen the morale stat on his city management screen rise this rapidly before.

But all good things come to an end. Just when he had settled into his new role, the group of four showed up. Henry had been ecstatic when he discovered a foreign adventuring party had shown up at the city gates. Such events usually brought political challenges of alliances and such, but it also brought prosperity in terms of trade and cooperation. But he had celebrated too early. He was not prepared for the arrogant display the new adventurers exhibited. Henry had only interacted with adventurers from Earth that came from Jadefall and made a rudimentary picture of their culture and disposition.

In hindsight, he really should have expected that not all humans from Earth would be as cooperative. The party of four didn't even attempt at diplomacy. They outright made demands of what they wanted, not in the least bit interested in presenting a favorable first impression. And when they presented the letters from Guild Leaders of their homebase, it made sense why. This new upstart group had steamrolled through the power structure of their respective cities, out leveling at a pace no one was prepared for. The details were still sketchy, but one thing was certain—this new Alliance was backed by just one woman.

The messengers from the Earth Alliance were haughty for sure. But it was to be expected from the followers of such a strong individual. The reports didn't explain her powers in detail, but by all accounts, she was a one-woman army. The tales, with a healthy dose of exaggeration, depicted her wading across monster hordes solo. All the while gathering followers who were dazzled by her charisma. She unofficially ruled the Alliance with an iron fist, all in the name of betterment of the poor masses from Earth. Henry almost scoffed when he learned of the contradiction of someone ruling what was purported to be a democratically elected representative.

To be fair, democracies and elected rulers weren't unheard of in the Multiverse. Several new civilizations who were integrated by the System had such a leadership hierarchy. But none of them managed to maintain that beyond three generations. And the reason was simple—Power. How could a democracy survive when there were individuals capable of wiping out planets and even galaxies. That is why the System had adapted to the nobility System. It made power dynamics closely linked to an individual's personal strength. A group of people could band together to form a leadership system—a noble house as most referred to it. But there was always someone sitting at the helm.

Moreover, noble houses weren't always linked by blood relatives. Although often they devolved into such dynamic due to nepotism. But some of the truly gargantuan houses gave slots based on nothing but merit. You could directly be placed in the upper tiers if you were strong enough to hold your own.

Theoretically speaking, tutorial planets were a hotbed for the birth of new noble houses. All it would take would be the gathering of truly remarkable individuals with a common goal to make one. But the Multiverse hadn't seen the creation of a new noble house in several millennia because of what usually happened when the tutorial ended. The fledgling powers could never survive against the might of the established factions. They either got absorbed into one or crumbled under the weight of true power.

Which is why Henry didn't like to think about the consequences waiting for them at the end of the tutorial. He would rather focus on the present. Witnessing firsthand the rise of a potential noble houses was a rare treat. And he had a front row seat for the experience.

Henry picked up a communication crystal as it started to glow.

"How's everything progressing," Henry asked seriously.

"Smoother than expected," a male voice responded. "Your bait has really worked wonders. The entire Alliance is in an uproar trying to find more information on our mysterious Mayor and his retinue. None of them are keen to make a move till they have all the intel."

"Their spies are not a concern for us," Henry responded. Theirs was a very tightly knit group, and he was confident no one could get past the combined surveillance power of two soul mages. "I am more concerned about our own information gathering."

The voice on the other end paused briefly before speaking up in a worried tone. "It is as you expected. The Alliance is not the bastion of hope they are advertising as. The adventuring parties are indeed formidable, but the citizenry is so under leveled it is painful to look at. All the resources are being diverted to fund the ones at the top. All for the vague promise of safety."

"So exactly like the noble houses of the Multiverse," Henry replied thoughtfully.

"Yes. I wasn't certain before, but this unknown leader of the Alliance is definitely a scion of an established house. The way she has set up the operations are a mirror image of the predatory practices of the nobility from my home world," the voice bled hatred with every word.

Henry frowned at the revelation. If this was true, they had an even bigger mess to deal with at the end of the tutorial. He shook his head to clear the dark thoughts.

"Doesn't matter. We just focus on what we control," Henry brought back the conversation on track. "How far did you two manage to infiltrate?"

"I am rising in rank relatively quickly. I will be sworn in to be a captain tomorrow," the guy said with a hint of malicious pride. "But my friend is having a tougher time breaking into the nobility circles."

"That is to be expected," Henry said with a nod. "The truly nefarious plans originate from within there. I am sure this scion brought the nobility under her control first, before targeting the Adventurer's Guild. Do we still not know her name?"

"No. Her identity is strictly under wraps, even from the rank and file. All we know is that she is a mage of some sort. Her accomplishments are only discussed through the grapevine, with a lot of vague imagery of her fighting style."

"Hmm," Henry said while leaning back in his chair. Not knowing the abilities of this individual was worrying. But it wasn't the most concerning part. "Do we at least know how she took down the cities? Offensive actions against the Player base should be restricted. If cities have fallen, it could only mean…"

"Yes. They fell to monster hordes" the voice confirmed. "What is not known is how the Alliance is directing said hordes towards those who refuse to yield. And with no warning whatsoever. The Alliance leadership was shocked when they discovered we had a city defense quest against a horde. I only heard rumors, but it has unnerved them even more than the discovery of an Awakened ice mage."

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Henry pulled up the city-wide quest that Lord Fenrast had given out a while ago. It seemed to be linked to this mysterious occurrence, but Henry wasn't sure how he had known about it. The adventurers had made no contact with the city yet. So, for the Mayor to know a monster horde was on its way was unsettling.

"Doesn't matter either way," Henry finally said. "We have been forewarned, and that it what matters. They might speed the process based on what they know now. But at least we won't be caught unaware."

"True," the man agreed. "The new Mayor is definitely a gift from heaven to us folks."

Henry felt the hesitation in the disembodied voice from the crystal. "Is it really true?"

"What is?" Henry asked.

"What Lady Sylvathorn told us about Lord Fenrast. That he is not a noble."

Henry stayed silent for a moment, recalling the conversation him and Lady Sylvathorn had with the two men. He was part of the discussion, so he could see why the man had doubts.

"Yes," he replied simply, not elaborating further.

"And to think I…," the voice trailed off.

"Even I wanted to ask something," Henry said with care. "You know the city's finances are strained. But the financial reward you demanded in return for your services…"

"Is non-negotiable," the voice cut him off. "That is the exact amount we need."

Henry hesitated, wanting to speak up. But he decided not to after listening to the heat in the man's voice. Adventurers truly were a rare breed, risking their lives for profit was not new to them. But sometimes it was tough to understand them.

"Very well. Keep me posted if anything changes" Henry concluded the call and cut off the connection.

He turned towards the window overlooking the city, lost in thought for a while. He had never been in a more hopeless situation in his life. But despite that he had never felt…so alive either. He smiled as he wondered what new experiences their headstrong leader would make them experience.

"And how many established norms will you topple," Henry said out loud with a smile.

* * *

Aenon

The sandy beach blurred past their vision as they made their way towards the Fire Ant dungeon. Aenon wasn't going at his max speed, but the fact that Jenny could keep this pace with ease was a testament to her growth. The fierce gaze of her observant eyes was a far cry to the timid and lost girl from before. She ran full tilt next to Aenon with the confidence that she belonged there. Her soul emitting pride at her own achievement.

It took them half a day to cover the distance that would have a modern truck a full day back on Earth. When they finally arrived at their destination, they met with an established security check point. A pair of bored men sat leisurely within a canvas tent about ten feet away from the dungeon pillar. But their boredom evaporated the moment they saw him and Jenny. They both stood in attention before giving a crisp salute, their right hand pumped into a fist right above their heart.

"Any movement?" Jenny took charge as she stepped forward.

But she must have realized who she was with, as she sheepishly backed off. But Aenon shook his head and pushed her forward. She recovered remarkably quickly as she got into a professional demeanor to get an update. There had been no movement from the dungeon the ant's themselves had sealed.

Aenon and Jenny walked closer to the pillar after the report.

"Umm, sorry about that," Jenny said while rubbing the back of her head. "Ignar pushes me to lead in such scenarios. I momentarily forgot I was with you."

"All good," Aenon said with a nod, his mask hiding his smile.

Jenny had a conflicting look on her face, which she dispelled when they finally reached the dungeon pillar.

Dungeon Interface

Dungeon monster type: Fire Ants

Dungeon state: Overflowing (10 Fire Ants per week) - SEALED

Recommended level: 75-80

Recommended party size: 10

The interface had not changed except for the recommended level—it had gone up by 20. Although, based on experience the recommended level was misleading for sure.

Aenon turned to Jenny who had a serious look on her face. When she nodded in acknowledgement, he stepped forward and outstretched his hand. A roiling black mass of void mana coalesced in his palm, which started eroding away the ceramic material sealing the area around where the portal was supposed to appear. It took almost half of his massive mana pool to finally clear everything.

Jenny was fascinated by the display but held her tongue as the two sentries too were staring with wide eyes. Once cleared, Aenon sat cross legged to meditate while gulping down a bottled liquid he had prepared himself. It wasn't exactly a mana potion, as it couldn't be used in combat. But its effects were just as impressive.

Mana Draught | Soup | Common | A broth prepared by slowly stewing mana rich meat with spices in a controlled manner. Grants accelerated health and mana regen when consumed out of combat. The effectiveness varies based on the ingredients used. (+400 HP/min, +800 MP/min)

The description was a bit lackluster and didn't list the recipe for making it. Mainly because there wasn't a fixed set of materials for it. But the method was. It had taken Aenon several dozen tries to even make this common rarity one. The mana control and Heat Manipulation needed to make the brew was no joke. The description also didn't mention that its effects were enhanced if consumed by the crafters themselves. Mrs. Ashvein had explained that it was due to him using his own mana for the concoction.

Within minutes his mana was back to full again. He pulled out several sealed containers and handed half of them out to Jenny. They both sat down to consume the food he prepared for the buffs. To an outside observer the pair were on a casual picnic and not preparing for a life or death struggle.

"Your cooking has improved," Jenny commented while savoring a steaming bowl of rice with some delectable vegetables and meat.

"If only my Skill proficiency said the same," Aenon grumbled while eating his fire resistance enhancing food. His Skill rank had remained stagnant even though he had successfully replicated a lot of the recipes his teacher taught him.

"I'm sure you'll get there," Jenny said encouragingly. "Mike too used to complain a lot that his blacksmithing Skill moved at a snail's pace."

In all his time, Aenon was yet to meet the brute again. But he got regular updates about him from Jenny and Borin.

"Yeah," Aenon replied crisply.

They ate in peaceful silence, just enjoying the flavors. The taste wasn't even close to the ones prepared by Mrs. Ashvein, but it was still enjoyable. Aenon almost didn't regret slotting the noncombat skill. Almost.

After fifteen minutes, the duo were stuffed. They felt a cooling sensation radiating from their stomach, which enhanced Jenny's ice affinity too. Unfortunately, the other items he cooked didn't earn a description to their Identify skills. They were of too poor quality to warrant the System giving them one. But he felt that he was getting close to a breakthrough.

"Ready?" Aenon asked while doing some minor stretches to loosen up his body.

"Definitely," Jenny replied while drawing her sword and shield. Her soul emitted excitement, and even a hint of nervousness. But she showed no fear whatsoever.

She gave a sharp whistle, which was followed by four Abyssal Wolf pups emerging from within her shadow. Although calling them pups felt wrong, even if their Identify description said so.

<Juvenile Abyssal Wolf | Level 63>

<Juvenile Abyssal Wolf | Level 61>

<Juvenile Abyssal Wolf | Level 64>

<Juvenile Abyssal Wolf | Level 70>

The strongest one was a girl and had an impressive size that dwarfed the others. Her eyes held a ferocity that only matched her mother's. Aenon placed a hand on her snout, which seemed to delight the creature.

"You've done well Jenny," Aenon said softly, not looking away from the regal wolf. There was something special within this one, but Aenon couldn't quite tell what. But he did notice a very faint layer of mist clinging to their fur. It was almost imperceptible, but Aenon felt a strong connection with Jenny's soul from it.

Jenny beamed with pride, as she too admired the pups who had grown alongside her. They all had been through a lot, and Aenon could feel the bond of trust between the five. A bond forged on the battlefield as they placed their lives in each other's hands.

He finally turned to Jenny, his eyes conveying the unspoken approval that she so desperately wanted. Something in the air shifted as their eyes met. Aenon felt something within his soul give way as his link to Jenny grew stronger. He didn't feel any outward difference, but he knew what had changed. He was already in the presence of his pack due to the pups, but he knew that the buff from his Alpha Title wouldn't disappear even if they were to leave. By raising the pups, she had earned their respect. And looking at the bond between, she had earned Aenon's.

"Well then," Aenon said while looking at the dungeon portal. "Lead the charge, Jenny."

Jenny smiled and turned to the pups who sat obediently.

"You heard the Alpha," she declared. "Let the carnage begin."

The pups howled as they followed Jenny into the shimmering portal. Aenon followed soon after but stopped at the edge of the portal. He turned back to look in the direction of Neverhelm, and then the Treant dungeon.

He felt the souls of his people all wading into unknown dangers with confidence. He smiled briefly before turning and entering the portal. He knew that when they all met next, it would be to be absolute pandemonium. His eyes glowed an eerie grey as he spoke internally.

"Let's find out who is stronger. Your alliance; or my pack."

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