“Urrrggghh…”

Jaime coughed a glob of blood as he lay broken after the attack of the hateful Aravin and his accursed wolf-girl pet. As if rubbing salt on injury, Dark-Life Invigoration Arte’s after-effect was ravaging his already smashed body.

The battle was over. Seeing their leader lost, the surviving forces of Jaime were routed to the wilds, less than a dozen of them. Aravin’s fighters were in hot pursuit as per their lord’s command. If they got wiped out, even if he didn't kill Jaime he wouldn't be going to Stage 4, that was what Aravin thought.

Victorious, Aravin stood before the defeated.

“I will not, cough… stop.” It was hard to breathe with the clogged up throat. “Your existence is something I will never tolerate. Even if I have to sacrifice everything, only you… definitely…”

Jaime’s eyes dilated when he saw Aravin’s face.

No… Stop, stop, stop! Don’t you fucking dare to look at me with eyes of pity!

“Don't you realize you only make her sad by doing this?” Aravin said softly. “Piera-”

“Stop saying that name! Cough, cough… After, after I kill you, that betraying thot is next!”

The pity in Aravin’s eyes grew.

“...You’re too far gone. You let your hate consume you. I told her as such but even then she still believes there’s good in you. Don't you get it? She’s the only one that still believes you can turn a new leaf! More than your own parents that abandoned you, more than yourself!”

Aravin’s voice kept rising as he reached the end of the sentence. Jaime’s mouth wavered, trying to let out something, anything.

But words failed him.

He raised his body with difficulty, unceasingly glaring with unbridled hate at Aravin until he limped away.

The silver wolf morphed into a silver-haired silver-tailed beastfolk girl.

“We should kill him now. He’s an avatar of vengeance now, blind and deaf, singular to his purpose. A desperate rat will bite the cat. Who knows what he will do in the future.”

“I know, Naya… But it can't be helped. Piera has known Jaime since they were children. Those years are worth something. Besides, I can’t hold her with hands drenched with her childhood friend's blood right? That would be cruel,” Aravin gave a sad smile then felt Naya hugging him from behind.

“Sheesh. You’re always too kind for your own good… That’s why I’ve fallen for you.”

“Naya...”

The two exchanged a tender long kiss.

“Phuah…” Naya moved away, misty-eyed, red-faced, and short-breathed. “We should stop. Sabine would sulk otherwise.”

“Yeah,” Aravin cupped her cheek, Naya's wolf ears twitched cutely. “But isn't she so adorable when she looks like that?” Aravin jokingly replied and took another kiss from the wolf beastfolk in the middle of battlefield aftermath.

“Well, how unfortunate she isn't here… Hey Ary, it's been some time since it was only the two of us, hasn’t it?”

Powerless against Naya’s seductive look, the two retreated to the settlement, away from prying eyes for some quality time together.

***

Damn it, damnit, dammit all!!!

Jaime’s heart burned with so much fury the wrecking pain on his body was numbed as he limped in the middle of a dusty wasteland.

However, as a human being of flesh and blood, he’d finally hit the physical limitations of his body and fell face-down to the ground. His blood and sweat and tears were watering the cracked dry earth.

Was he really crying? Jaime himself didn't know.

He crawled forward but the after-effect of the forbidden technique assaulted every inch of his body. He felt like his flesh was being peeled one inch at a time as his head throbbed with a severe headache.

Enduring the pain was not the only price that Jaime had paid. His hair turned white, muscles atrophied, bones deteriorated.

Using one’s own life force was not a joking matter.

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“Uuuaaargghhhh!!”

Jaime screamed until his throat was sore. The wilds were a dangerous place. He was in no condition to defend himself; Jaime realized this. He had gambled for a shot to kill Aravin and he’d failed.

He’d thought Aravin would soon grow beyond his ability to handle, no matter how hard to swallow that truth had been. The guy had always been followed by two girls. Jaime couldn't win three on one, let alone killing Aravin. Therefore he took the shot when he found Aravin was alone in Stage 3. Who knew if there was another shot at Stage 4 and 5.

...Even if I retire from Aletro’s trial and manage to heal my injuries, how long would it take? On the other hand, Aravin would gain massive benefits and my blade will no longer be able to reach him… Is this it? Is this the end of my revenge?

With the intensity of his tears and the sobbing that entered his own ears, Jaime couldn't deny he was indeed shamefully crying, just like a child that cried after losing a fight with another child.

In that shameful display, a pair of feet stopped before his body. Jaime moved his eyes only because moving his neck was too tall an order for him. He could only see up to that person’s chest before hearing his voice.

“Twelve places with fracture, deep second degree burns, two major lacerations, but muscles, bones… these are the minor matters. Your Victa pathways are severely frayed, unless treated immediately there's a risk of permanent damage. And the light user’s Victa Stigma hampered the healing progress… This is the most potent Victa Stigma that I have ever seen, curious. Doctor’s verdict: You’re out of the picture until Stage 3 is over, my man. On top of that, you’ve led all the people in your settlement to their death. You can't pass on to Stage 4 anyway. Wow… This just isn't your day, is it?”

Jaime barely heard two-thirds of the latter part of the tirade but recognized that voice.

“Ta...nael...”

They only went on one mission together in Stage 1 and have not interacted since then but Jaime never forgot about the man whose reputation for callousness and cruelty grew by each Stage.

Jaime somehow cracked a faint smile.

Now it is all over. Tanael will kill me. I’m just a dying bag of spark shards… Hehe, even after all I’ve done, I still failed. I’ve cornered him twice and twice he got lucky. The world is really unfair… Aravin, even after I die, I will haunt you as a ghost.

Darkness took him. His golden life had turned to shit after his disastrous loss to Aravin and it was only getting worse from there. He felt some relief in the end, that he died not at the hands of that cursed Aravin.

***

“Well shit.” Viers scratched his scalp. “How can I interview him when he’s out cold?”

While Backlasher was busy with his thoughts and dealing with his pain, Viers had to swat down a few pests. The other players naturally thought that one of the top 10 was now an easy picking. Like an alpha lion, Viers claimed the position of first in line. Brutalizing anyone that disagreed.

Afterward, he approached Backlasher at his own pace. Kaari followed close behind like she did when she was Viers’ maid in Stage 1. The other players only dared to observe from afar.

Naaaaaaw, just kidding. I have something better. Soul! Search!

Viers cared very much for his own privacy but not for others’.

One hand on Backlasher’s head and Viers felt the sensation of seeing a whole new world after opening a gate. Memories flickered in the thousands as Viers peered into Backlasher’s psyche.

Viers was quite skilled in soul search by now; he had been doing this almost every day for a year. He could make the process painless or make them feel as if their brain was melting out from their ear holes. Viers chose the former for this occasion.

Jaime Sigley…

The life of the man with that name was Viers’ to behold. He gleaned the memories at a very fast pace and developed many techniques to help him in this endeavor. A day’s life was derived in tens of seconds, searching for specific memories was no longer as difficult as it used to, important moments in the course of their lives were easy to find because they stood out. Crucial secrets, traumas, weaknesses, Viers could take all of them from a resistance-less soul as easy as taking candy from a baby.

Viers refined his skill to ‘read’ quickly because he had an endless amount of ‘books’. Without it, Viers wouldn't have the time for himself.

“Hmm… Mm-mmm… Ah… Hm.”

Viers saw the life of a man that lived in luxury and plenty, thinking he was someone born to stand above the ordinary masses. Years went on, bolstering his ego. He then suffered the greatest humiliation in his life on his wedding day and became an embodiment of vengeance.

In three minutes, Viers had seen enough to make the call.

“Kaari, give him first aid so he won’t die. We’re taking him with us.”

“Certainly, Chief.”

After Kaari tended his wounds, Viers carried him to a more restful place. Still in the wilderness but at least there was a shade from the sun.

There, Viers convened a meeting with his Viers Corporation employees inside his mind.

“You usually don’t bother with bothersome things. The fact that you didn't kill him and be done with it means he has a greater value to you alive,” Paina said.

“Would you elucidate why Lord Viers?” Farley asked.

“Backlasher’s real name is Jaime. I’m familiar with Jaime’s archetype. In the Fables, I’ve seen thousands of the likes of him,” Viers paused, clasping his fingers in front of his mouth with both elbows on the table, eyes piercing. “We call them… Arrogant Young Masters.”

The ominous tone he used permeated the girls’ soul bodies.

“...And?” Clarissa voiced out.

“Fables MCs -Main Characters- encountered these Arrogant Young Masters, always. The MC got oppressed by the AYM when he was mere talentless trash, suffering humiliation and indignation. Once the MC changed his fate, he paid back the AYM with an epic beating. MC won, AYM lost.”

“Right… and then?” Paina went along. Once Viers was like this, it was better to go with the current.

“We just saw Jaime the Arrogant Young Master defeated by Daystar, from the context, he is a ‘Main Character’, as Lord Viers put it...” Farley tried to think ahead but grasped only clouds. “Where are you going with this, Lord?”

“I was thinking… Maybe the Arrogant Young Master should win for once.”

The girls recognized Viers’ smile. It was the smile he made when he was envisioning something insidious.

Death was usually involved.