The night was dark and close, dreadful, barely ideal for anyone to move through. Adventurers, tyrants who'd do anything at the right price, crowded every stretch of street, leaving nearly no breathing room. Yet, Halo jumped from one shadow to the next.

Things escalated faster than he anticipated, but Iris was calm—unnervingly so. She gave him precise directions to his new home.

The Commander and adventurers were in pursuit of Halo, him alone. As long as he wasn't by Iris's side, she wouldn't be branded suspicious. And if his new house was located, he could face the Commander alone.

It wasn't ideal, but it was the best for their situation.

Every opening meant more exposure and more risk of being caught. He maneuvered through alleys, clung to buildings like a lizard, erasing his presence into the shadows.

But to his advantage, the barbarous adventurers were brainless. They abandoned their suspicions after a cursory glance, allowing him to slip past with ease.

Soon enough, when his soul had nearly left his body, he finally reached the wealthier district of StoneHaven. Free of the constant pursuit of guards and adventurers, the streets were quiet enough to serve as a lullaby.

But something was off.

His home was the smallest sandwiched between two taller ones. Stone buildings, all with western windows and balconies on top. It was a common pattern around here, and he should have taken it at face value.

Yet something entirely nagged at him.

The street wasn't as serene as it appeared.

He believed he was being paranoid but couldn't risk being ambushed.

His head snapped around as he took careful backward steps. The last thing he wanted was to bring unwanted attention to his new home.

The next second, dread enveloped him, and he instinctively summoned his weapons. White in his left hand, black in his right, and brown bandages binding them tightly to the hilts.

Before he could blink, countless Chaos Eaters charged toward him from all directions. He gulped in confusion, sweat beading on his brow.

They came in different forms: humanoids with nothing beneath their torsos, disembodied heads of giant creatures, and even packs of wolves of varying sizes. Their jaws snapped in silent roars, daunting yet soundless.

Halo's body shivered.

He hadn't seen this many Chaos Eaters before.

There was nowhere to escape. Unless his mental defenses had improved since the last time, he was in for a long night.

He took a deep breath and cleared his mind, his eyes narrowing into dangerous calm.

With his eyes closed, he waited for the Sinners to close in. In a brief moment, they reached him, their gnawed claws and torn hands sinking into his flesh. He felt every bit of the agony as they swarmed him, attempting to tear his mind apart.

Blood poured from his skull, but he waited. Calm and collected.

Until they ran out of luck.

The Chaos Eaters couldn't reach him anymore. Their attacks went through him as though he were an illusion.

Shadow of Death opened his eyes.

He forced a creepy smirk.

He danced through the Sinners as though they were nothing but air. The Chaos Eaters fought back to no avail. Their attacks were powerless, their overwhelming numbers meaningless.

Halo's mind was as still as a corpse. Even his own thoughts struggled to reach him.

His movements were silent and steady. Each creature fell to a single swing of his sword. When he propelled himself into the air, he rode the wind, landing so gently and lightly he could walk on water.

The last thing he wanted was to cause too much commotion and break the street's balance.

Soon enough, he'd slain every single one of them, yet he felt no more tired than if he'd been running through a park.

He wiped the blood off his face and dismissed the system's notifications. Even the satisfying feeling from consuming Sin Fragments couldn't break through his blank expression.

Had he been tricked again?

His new home didn't seem safe now.

This district, unlike the one he just fled, was free from the assault of Chaos Eaters. At least, that's what he believed.

Even if it wasn't, the Sinners had all attacked at once. Unusual. They seemed as though they'd been waiting for him.

He couldn't help but think Iris had set him up to kill him.

He sneered.

If they could attack him in such numbers, they could do it again, stronger and in greater force.

He began rushing back to the commoner's district.

This wasn't the first time Iris had pulled such a crappy move. Normally, he wouldn't mind, but he couldn't keep his cool this time around.

Using his initial sneaky approach, he jumped between shadows. Careful, silent, as though he wasn't there at all.

There was a change in pattern.

He'd been away for only a few hours, yet the adventurers on the streets had already thinned out. Those around only chatted and laughed, some enjoying their booze, others flirting with ladies.

The seriousness from before had vanished.

His mind raced through countless possibilities, but he never stopped. He needed to confront Iris.

When he neared the street, he halted.

He was wrong. Not entirely, though.

Adventurers and locals alike swarmed the street. The area was so cramped that there was no way he could slip through unnoticed.

The crowd shouted and rejoiced. They acted as though they were on their way to crucify someone.

This made Halo uneasy. His body paranoia, evident. His mind settled on something, and he hoped he was wrong.

He needed to get past the crowd. He needed to see what was happening. But how?

In the heat of the moment, he spotted someone familiar. It was Boss, the man he worked for in the jewelry shop.

Boss turned to him, eyes narrowing. Even through the darkness, the emotionless man could still make him out.

Halo panicked and took a step back. He couldn't afford to be caught.

The next second, Boss nonchalantly grabbed a woman's black scarf. A brief argument broke out, but he simply pressed payment into her hand.

Halo was confused, but nothing about Boss's actions seemed like a betrayal.

Boss casually walked toward Halo. Once within reach, he tossed him the scarf and simply walked past without a word.

Halo had his mouth slightly parted, bemused.

Boss had been mysteriously helpful since he'd arrived in StoneHaven, but Halo never expected this.

He smiled and covered his head with the scarf.

His expression turned deadpan once more.

He began approaching the crowd.

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