“What do you think he wants to talk about with her?” Layla asked while standing beside the stairs that led upstairs to Alice’s office.
She was joined by other members of Silver Heart, who were quietly whispering with each other. They also wondered about the meaning of his visit.
“Miss Serenity better keep her ground and force him to pay back everything he owes us.” Leprechaun said with an angry smile.
Teddy let out a low growl and looked upstairs with narrowed eyes.
‘His muscles have grown, as has his strength. He is a powerful adversary now.’
‘What a charming change he had undergone.’ Layla thought with a slight blush on her cheeks. ‘Was he a diamond in rough all this time, after all? I should’ve realized it sooner; such a shame.’
In the upstairs in Serenity’s office.
Ambrose caressed the fur of the gray-furred cat, who was sleeping in the open window, bathing in the sun. The cat’s soft purrs filled the room, providing a soothing background noise.
“You still like animals, don’t you?” Ambrose asked and looked over his shoulder at the silver-haired girl, who had taken a seat in the corner of the room.
“You know I do.” Alice replied calmly. “I’ve always been fond of them.”
“Yeah, I know.” Ambrose chuckled and let the cat sleep as he walked over to the desk, where he traced his finger across the small layer of dust. “Is it a disease or disorder? I am curious.”
“Disorder.” Alice replied with her eyes closed. “I don’t see the faces of humans, but instead the faces of animals.”
“Mm, tell me more about it. I am truly curious.” Ambrose sat on top of the desk, crossed his arms, and leaned back, listening intently to Alice’s explanation.
“I was diagnosed with a mental illness when I was very young.” Alice opened her eyes and looked at Ambrose’s purple eyes, which looked different and similar at the same time.
“It had its fancy medical term, but my parents used the term Animal Vision. They believed that I had a special gift—a unique ability to see the world in a way that others could not.
“Well, believe is a strong word. They made me think that so I wouldn’t think of me as a freak. The illness made me… treat people differently.
“At least, I wanted to fool myself into thinking that it was the illness and not just me. During my Zahhak times, I could easily do horrible deeds because instead of faces of humans, I just saw cute, smiling animals.
“I felt as though I hadn’t killed anyone, but rather as though I had embraced some adorable animals. Then, unfortunately, my behavior continued in real life, and I got a lot of trouble in school.
“I was treated as a monster. Maybe I was.
“In the end, my parents sent me overseas to get myself cured. Well, hopefully get better at least. It also worked; I started to see human faces, but with a hint of some animal characteristics.”
“How did I look in your eyes?” Ambrose asked curiously.
“Not much different.” Alice replied and showed a faint smile. “Your face was the same, but you had dog’s ears and a cute nose. You truly looked adorable at that time.”
“What about now?” Ambrose asked.
“Actually, you don’t have any animal characteristics now.” Alice said with a relieved smile. “This might be the first time I have seen someone in their true form. I am happy.”
“So, your words that you only cared about me because I looked like an injured puppy were true?” Ambrose questioned.
Alice’s smile faded, and she looked away, feeling a pang of guilt. “Kind of. It’s hard to explain. I wanted to cure you, as I was feeling pity for you.
“So, in a way, I cared for you, but not romantically, as you would have wished. I am sorry if I gave the wrong impression.”
“It’s fine; I don’t care about that anymore.” Ambrose stood up with a slight smile. “I didn’t come here to talk about all that. I came here to talk about something else.”
“What is it?” Alice put her hands on her lap, sat like a lady of high status, and listened intently to Ambrose’s words.
“I was angry at you; that’s why I stole the treasures from others.” Ambrose said and looked at Alice with a serious expression. “I am here to repay it.”
“That is… nice of you.” Alice sighed. “However, it doesn’t fix the real problem. We, of course, need money desperately, but no one wants to join us anymore.”
“Why is that?” Ambrose asked with a curious gaze.
“We cannot offer protection like others.” Alice said. “New players will join the alliance. The veteran players will join stronger dojos. We are in a state where we are not weak, but not as strong as others in this territory.
“We also cannot move into other territories. It might cause a war between the leaders of another territory if we suddenly appeared in their territory.
“Also, we would have to build a new dojo since every dojo has already been taken, and that costs a lot.”
“Hmm, that is indeed troublesome; however, I have a solution.” Ambrose said.
“What is it?” Alice curiously asked.
“I have recently acquired a dojo for myself.” Ambrose said with a charming smile. “That dojo was recently the leader of the territory, which makes me the leader from now on.
“I’ll find you guys a dojo; you’ll move into my territory, and you don’t have to worry about getting into a war for relocating.
“There, you can start rebuilding your dojo, and my dojo can offer a helping hand. But I do hope that your dojo will also stay loyal to us.”
“Which dojo did you take?” Alice asked in shock, with a hint of hope in her eyes, that the previous hardships might finally be over.
“Reverse Tiger Blade,” Ambrose said. “They are NPC dojo.”
“I see…” Alice whispered with surprise, ‘Did he receive help from someone? I know his wanted poster is immensely high, but it doesn’t always relay strength or skill.’
“I’ll talk with others, and I will answer to you soon.” Alice said.
“All right, I’ll be expecting a reply soon.” Ambrose nodded and walked over to the door with the intention of leaving as he finished saying the reason he came here.
However, Alice said. “Wait a moment…”
“Hmm?” Ambrose turned to look at her, and a notification appeared in front of him.
It was a friendship request from Alice.
“Easier than sending a letter, don’t you agree?” Alice said with a weak smile.
“Mm.” Ambrose nodded, quickly accepted the request, and then left the office.
As soon as he arrived downstairs, Leprechaun and several other members of Silver Heart turned hostile. However, they didn’t make a move since they didn’t know what Alice said to him.
“Grr…” Leprechaun revealed slightly of his metallic blade from his scabbard. “You think you can just waltz here and leave?”
“Yes.” Ambrose replied with a smile.
At that moment, a heavy wind breeze passed through the members of Silver Heart, causing them to stumble and lose their balance.
The place where Ambrose was standing only moments prior was now empty; there was no sight of him anywhere.
“W-where the hell did he go?” Caveman, a ginger-haired player, asked in shock as he was looking at Ambrose when he suddenly disappeared.
‘A powerful adversary.’ Teddy gulped. ‘How strong are you now, Ambrose?’