Itarr’s eyes focused not on the corpse of an Elf who wanted to correct a horrific past, but they intensely stared at the group of injured victims who wouldn’t receive any further healing. The odds were high that they would be dead soon, and the Goddess asked if she could heal them.

“Why would I ever want to heal my enemies? If they weren’t so fucking weak, then we wouldn’t be in this situation. It’s their fucking fault, and I’m forced to fucking fix it to save Momo. No, I won’t give you permission to heal them. I want to kill them, but look at them! That one’s missing an eye, and he’s missing both hands! Look at the blood! They’re on death’s door.  If the blood loss won’t kill them, the festering disease that’s to follow will. They will suffer for their cowardice, but that won’t be enough. They rolled over and showed their stomachs when the going got rough. Guess what? You can’t show your stomach twice to different enemies when the first enemy isn’t dead!” 

Itarr started to argue about healing the children, but Servi suddenly dodged out of the tent and raced away. An invisible wind produced from her erratic movements died out and scattered nothing in its wake.  

Within seconds, she left the injured masses with no healer, and by the time they discovered Snare’s corpse, Servi would be long gone. Their cries and sorrows wouldn’t reach her.  

It was impossible for something that didn’t exist to affect the world. And it was impossible for a bundle of shadow to physically influence the world. Yet Servi had done the impossible by harnessing the potential of The Shadow's Embrace.

Her destination was a dark alley near Deset, and since she didn’t physically exist, Servi used her full speed to soar throughout the air and passed by a kettle of flying vultures and birds. But The Shadow’s Embrace wasn’t an infallible skill. Instead of using a set amount like Fireball, The Shadow's Embrace used 10% of a person's Skill Energy every second. A person only received the benefits of such a powerful skill for ten short seconds. In Servi’s case, each soul wasn’t drained concurrently. It was subsequent. The thousands of souls she held within her ring were drained one after another and acted like wood to a charcoal fire.  

When one soul was drained, the skill moved onto the next and then to the next after that. For most people, The Shadow's Embrace had numerous weaknesses to offset how strong it was. In Servi’s case, it only had one drawback. The Skill Energy used by The Shadow’s Embrace would not regenerate while the skill was active. While it was nearly impossible, there was a chance for Servi to be drained, but that was a risk she was willing to take.  

Even if I do run out, I can’t die. I only have to wait for my Skill Energy to come back. It’s so fucking weird. I have absolutely no downsides to anything. It’s like these skills were waiting for me to draw out their true power. Those thoughts soared across her mind as she landed on top of a building. Transitioning into a roll, Servi continued until she found herself in a small alley a few streets away from Deset.  

Canceling The Shadow's Embrace, she felt a queer sensation of relief that was foreign to her, but Itarr didn't write anything on the ID. Because of that, Servi immediately tossed that worry from her mind. She looked down at her right arm. It was fleshy and warm to the touch when her left hand touched her right wrist. Servi rubbed the area where the black ring had been. There wasn’t anything out of place, but Servi’s mind became occupied for a few brief moments. Itarr wondered what was on her beloved’s mind, but Servi didn’t share anything and started walking.  

It took only a few minutes to walk from the alley to having a meeting with Carmelo. But even as she walked with one foot in front of the other, her mind raced back to the brief argument she had with Itarr.  

This nightmare started when I thought you betrayed me, and now you really want to betray me? Itarr, I loved you! Why would you ever want to heal my enemies?! And what was that about— 

Her thoughts became disorganized and chaotic, and Servi couldn’t keep a coherent thought. Strangely enough, she didn’t feel any pain. Her solemn face remained static, and for a brief moment, it felt like Servi was in someone else’s body. But that strange feeling lasted for less than a second, and she thought it best to forget about thinking all together.  

She knew her strength laid in killing. It was what she was good at. With the powers given to her by Itarr, Servi became a monster. She had the ability to kill from a distance, rip heads from bodies, skewer a person with her arm, and recently, the power to erase herself from reality. It was all things that shouldn't be used by a regular person, but here she was: a skill-slinging Goddess of Death that had thousands of souls inside her ring.  

She didn’t pay attention to the faces of the other Mafia members as she walked the halls, but they certainly paid attention to her. It was unheard of for a new recruit to be given assassination contracts. No doubt Carrie had started bragging to everyone about Servi’s accomplishment, but that wasn’t why they all stared. To carry out a proper assassination, one needed to study the target's routine and gather information. That would take more than a day, sometimes a week or two, but Servi was only gone for a bit more than an hour. Her footsteps filled in the blank silence as she turned corner after corner. Servi's eyes stared at the floor, so she didn't see the Kobold walking towards her, and the two bumped into each other.

He started to say something when Servi looked at him, but he was killed and absorbed before uttering a single sound. Looking around and behind her, she saw the wide gasp of an Elf who looked like he saw the impossible. Not wanting to take any chances, Servi killed the only witness and continued her walk.  

Would someone as pure as Momo forgive me for my sins? I don't deserve her, but I need her. If I can’t have her in my life, then… 

Carmelo’s voice interrupted her thoughts. Before she knew it, she stood in front of him inside the same room she met with him only an hour before. The high ceiling still felt unnatural for Servi. It was the only thing that gave her a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach.  

“My observers tell me they didn’t see him die. I picked them for their excellent eyesight, yet you’re here before me. He has to be dead. I also see that you haven’t used a single arrow, and your bowstring is free of any blemishes,” Carmelo narrowed his eyes. Servi hadn’t taken the observers into account. Even if she had, Itarr didn’t know about it. The Goddess had remained quiet ever since their argument and sulked around inside of their interconnected souls. She wanted to cry herself away because everything was her fault.

How’d he find out about it so quickly? There must be someone with a bird spirit like that Elf back when we raided the slave markets in Canary. Gonna have to be a bit more secretive since he’s probably gonna have people watching me like a hawk.  

Children aren’t meant to be punished! Why can’t she see it?! Itarr’s wails and arguments would go unreturned because her voice still couldn’t reach Servi. It was like there was a block somewhere inside their soul, but she couldn’t find it.  

“I kill how I want to kill. If you don’t believe me, look at my ID. I did not use a skill to kill Snare, and it’s not my fault your observers are so useless they didn’t catch it. And here. His ear.” Servi reached into her pouch and retrieved her proof. Spinning around her fingers, she threw it on the table.  

Carmelo sighed and pointed to two pouches of coins sitting in front of him. “Your attitude is much to be desired. That’s why I’m taking away half of your reward. You’ll get it back if you complete all of the contracts.” 

“That’s fine. I’m alright if I can kill. I can only imagine all of this is training for when I kill those fucking slavers.” Servi licked her chops as she watched Carmelo’s thin hands and long fingers picked up a pouch. He placed it in a small pocket on his gray robe.  

“I’ve never met such a bloodthirsty Human before. Are you sure you aren’t a Kobold in disguise?” Once again, his eyes darted to Clarence.  

“Humans have the abilities to become great monsters, and I do suppose I’m one of the worst. The things I’ve seen and experienced would put normal killers and murderers to shame.” 

“Hahaha,” Carmelo laughed in a way that didn’t befit him. “You think you’re a monster?! Human, I am an Elf. I’ve been alive for hundreds of years. Even if you were to live to the ripe old age of 100 four times over, it wouldn’t compare to what I’ve seen. I’ve seen a man tear off his skin and meat to feed his child because she was hungry. I’ve seen a child kill his sister because his brother would die if he didn’t. Tell me, what do you think ran through that boy’s father’s head when he had to watch his son choose which of his siblings would live?” 

“Hahahaha, I didn’t come here to compete in a contest on who’s seen the worst shit. Just give me my targets. I’ll have them all slaughtered by the end of the day, Carmelo.” Servi sat down on the ground. “I ain’t moving until you tell me who to kill.” 

“I’ve never met someone who spoke so bluntly with me before.” Carmelo grabbed his beloved metal bow. “Clarence has the power to rend your flesh from your body and tear the bones from your limbs. And yet, even knowing that, you would talk to a Numbered that way?!” 

Servi stood up. “Death would be a welcome embrace.” Staring at the ceiling, she wished the darkness gathered at the top would fall and swallow her whole. Perhaps she thought that would cloud her mind to the point where she would rush off and save Momo. She could do it now, but she felt the city hasn’t been punished enough. Two sharp blades of wind bypassed her head and missed her by a few millimeters. Without looking down, she asked a question. “Could you hurry up and give me my contracts? I gotta kill three, right?” 

“Even with knowing how close you came to death, you still speak with no respect?” 

“My ability as a killer and murderer should grant me that right.” Servi held out her hand.  

“Hahahaha!! Here! Take these three and leave. Don’t come back until they’re all dead, and make sure you bring me proof. Let’s see… Ah, they all have a tattoo on the back of their necks. Bring back that piece of skin, and I’ll give you your last target. Be warned, though, that these three are going to be difficult. They’re all expert fighters. And to make it difficult, I told someone to warn them. I’m expecting good things out of you. You have the potential to be a Numbered far sooner than anyone else.” 

“They’re expecting me? Good. It'll be somewhat more fair for them. See ya, boss, I’ll be back soon.” Servi grabbed the three rolled-up pieces of paper and turned on her heels. As her footsteps echoed about the big empty room, Servi came to the door. She knocked on it twice and waited as the guard on the other side opened it up. Leaving, she made her way down the various halls until she ascended the spiral staircase.  

Once she emerged into the room with the washbasins, Servi left through the glass door and opened up the first of three papers.  

---

“Clarence, come out and talk to me. Tell me your thoughts on that Human.” He placed a hand on the metal limbs of his bow. It glowed green, and the entirety of the bow shrunk in size until it was 17 centimeters tall. Then it took on a Humanoid shape, only it had four flickering wings. When the green glow disappeared, it revealed a fairy, and she was sitting down on the edge of a clean plate.

Her blond hair came to her shoulders, the two green eyes in her head stared up at Carmelo, and two tiny hands folded across her heart. Her two legs dangled over the plate’s edge.  

“Carmy, it’s been a while since you wanted to hear my thoughts,” she said. Her voice, tiny and mouse-like, didn’t travel to her master’s ears via sound, but by telepathy. Even though her mouth moved, nothing escaped her pink lips.  

“Clarence, it has been quite some time. I have something I need your opinion on. Oh, and put on some clothes,” he said while crossing his legs.  

“Oops! Sorry about that!” Clarence stood up and twirled around in place until a green ballroom dress covered her body from neck to toe. Then she sat back down.  “Okay! Whaddya wanna talk about?"

Carmelo leaned forward and rested his chin on his arms. “I want to know what you think about that Human,” he said.  

“Williana? She’s a strange one,” Clarence said. She crossed her legs and shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t feel anything coming from her. Like, not a single thing. It’s like she doesn’t exist.” 

“But if she doesn’t exist, then she would be under the effects of The Shadow's Embrace, correct? We can see her. We can smell her. We can even touch her, so that couldn’t be it. Besides, she doesn’t have that skill. She’s a Rank 10.  

Clarence shook her head. “Carmy, I don’t mean it like that. It’s like she’s an actress. The person she’s portraying isn’t her true self. The Williana you talked to doesn’t exist. At least, that’s what I feel.” 

“What do you think her true self is?” 

“Hmm…” The fairy crossed her legs four times in quick succession. “It’s impossible to say. There’s a chance she’s as quiet as a mouse, and it’s possible she’s a nightmare’s worse dream. You saw how she almost begged for those contracts, right?” 

“I did. It seemed that Williana would die if she didn’t get a chance to kill. Was that just another act?” 

“That’s what I think. Do you want me to follow Williana around to see if she’s hiding something? I can do it,” Clarence said while touching her stomach. Her tiny palm was like a grain of rice when compared to Carmelo’s hand.  

“Don’t. I’ve seen that girl's ID. Her skills consist of what a regular Rank 10 would have.” 

“It’s impossible to falsify an ID’s information, so we know she’s telling the truth about that. Hey, Carmy?” 

“Yes?” 

“Do you think she’s telling the truth about that slavery and her friends and family? If Williana's as good with weapons as she says she is, then she shouldn’t have any trouble. I mean, she just killed Snare, and he was surrounded by a lot of people. That’s what the observers said.” 

Carmelo narrowed his eyes.  

“If she only has Rank 10 skills, yet she’s amazing with weapons, that still doesn’t explain how she was able to get in, kill him in front of all those people, carve off his ear, and come back within an hour. It doesn’t make sense.” 

“It doesn’t, but like we said, it’s impossible to hide information from an ID.” 

“Then let me follow her! I’ll find out her secrets!” Clarence cutely thrust her arms down and pouted.  

Carmelo shook his head. “Sorry, but I won’t let you do that.” 

“Why not?!” 

“Because of our pact. For as long as you rest inside the bow, you will defend me. If you’re following Williana, then you can’t do that, can you?” 

“But if I follow her and discover her secrets, then won’t that be protecting you?!” 

Carmelo sighed and leaned back in his chair. It quietly squeaked under his shifting weight. “I need you here with me, and I don’t trust anyone else to follow her. This whole base is full of traitorous scum. But I will admit this.  She’s hiding something, and I want to know what it is.” 

“Then why not have that Dwarf follow her? He came in here earlier.” Clarence held out a hand as if she couldn’t believe Carmelo couldn’t come up with such an obvious answer.

“He has some work to do. It involves the last contract, though I don’t expect Williana to get that far. That’s why it doesn’t matter if he fails.  Still, I suppose I can have someone follow her closely. But based on how we feel about her, I do not expect the follower to come back alive. Now that we’re talking about it out loud, I suppose it’s good in the long run if that happened.” 

“Why not kill her? She has to come back for the fifth contract, right? Just hide beside the door and stab her. And didn’t you want her to die with the rest of those disposable fools? It’s kinda suspect she came back as the only survivor.  Carmelo, I think it’s best to go ahead and kill her. We need control of the Mafia, right?” Clarence’s body grew an ominous red aura around her body. Anger surged through her body, but she didn’t know why. On the totem pole of strength, spirits like her ruled from the top.

“Clarence, calm down. I’ll go call for someone to follow her. At the same time, I’ll send orders to the observers to keep an eye on her. If both the follower dies and the observers are unable to keep an eye on her, then I’ll think about killing her myself. And yes, I know we need control. But I think we need her, too.  

“Since she loves to kill, I may be able to take advantage of her unique talents by offering her a steady stream of contracts in lieu of payment. You saw how she looked, right? Convincing her of that shouldn't be that hard.  Then we can use the money I saved from not paying her to advance towards our ultimate goal. My home forest won’t wait forever, so we—” Carmelo forcibly stopped himself from speaking. He held out a hand and pointed his index finger towards Clarence. She sighed and flew up to it, taking a seat.  

“If that’s what you want to do, Carmy, then I’m all for it! But if she acts in a way that suggests she wants to harm you, then I’ll have no choice but to take her head. Your safety comes above all else. That’s acceptable, isn’t it?” 

“It is.” Carmelo stood up and lifted his hand.

“Aw man, it’s time to go back in?” Clarence pouted and turned around.  

“I’m sorry, but it is. I’ll be sure to call on you more often. I imagine it’s not that comfortable to stay cooped up inside of it, is it?” Carmelo softly smiled and closed his eyes.  

Clarence peeked over her shoulder and smiled before fluttering her wings. Flying up, she soared around in circles until she stopped in front of his nose. “It’s the most comfortable home in the whole wide world! I just want the chance to fly and spread my wings every once in a while! So call me out more often, okay? Maybe next time in my original form? Hehe!!!” 

After planting a quick kiss on the tip of her summoner’s nose, Clarence’s legs glowed green. She vibrated as the emerald light reached her knees, thighs, waist, stomach, arms, and eventually, her neck. “I love you, Carmy,” Clarence said as the light covered her mouth. When her body had been enveloped, the light swirled around until it formed a mini tornado of torrential power. The empty plates and cups were knocked off the table, and Carmelo’s loose robes fluttered against his body. After reaching its max intensity, the tornado suddenly morphed, growing larger until it was in the shape of a particular metal bow with multiple strings. 

Carmelo picked up his bow and rubbed it against his cheek. “I love you, Clarence,” he whispered.  

But true form? I… 

He rested the bow against his shoulder and walked towards the door. The guard on the other side heard his footsteps and preemptively opened the door.  

Her true form can wait. Okay, Williana, it’s time to put you to the test. Should you come out unscathed, I’ll know for sure that there’s more to you than what you lead on. I’ll harness whatever power you want to keep hidden for myself.  

“Go and fetch me the most trustworthy man you know,” Carmelo said. “I have a most important task that needs to be completed as soon as possible.” 

Carmelo spoke to the guard like he was a king ordering his men to die, but the guard was all the more eager to fulfill the Numbered’s request. Even if he wasn’t, he had to act like he was.  

“Yes, sir! I’ll go right away!” The guard couldn’t have been older than 20. His light gray hair was unusual for a healthy adult Human male, and his two rust-colored eyes were starkly distinct in terms of coloration. His rather attractive face and small ears stuck out like a sore thumb, and that meant he would draw a bit of attention.  

Better yet, this guard is a waste of space. He doesn’t have anything even close to the power I desire.   

Carmelo’s mouth twisted into a sinister grin that lasted a quarter of a second. “On the other hand, I feel like you could do this job rather well. If you have someone in mind, then get them to help. Here are the details…”