"There's a secret to opening this door, hold on I'll take care of it."

Roderan walked over to the large metal doors and began fidgeting with them, inserting one of his hands into a hole while fiddling around with a dial with his other one.

"Alright, now push here…."

A low clicking sound could be heard and Roderan had a big grin on his face while he pushed the center of the large metal doors. A smaller door, which had not been originally visible, opened and they passed through it into the interior.

It was pitch black inside the vault as no torches were lit and Lenia could suddenly feel the presence of many auras within the vault that she could not feel a moment ago. Perhaps the vault doors had in some way masked their presence but she could now feel them as clear as day. Her detection skills were still relatively low so she had difficulty detecting stealth-based classes but it was a simple matter to detect the aura of those who lacked stealth based abilities.

Every being that possessed a class had an associated aura with their class and level that was different from the auras gained through abilities. Those who were of higher level could normally detect the aura of those weaker than them but may not be able to detect the aura of those stronger unless the stronger being specifically allowed it. Sometimes a powerful being would release their aura to all as a deterrence or when they didn't wish to be bothered by those weaker than them. It was intimidating and could help them avoid pointless trouble.

Torches were suddenly lit within the vault startling Lenia and at quick count, there were a dozen well-armed thugs within the vault with the man she recognized as Don Jesef at their head. The only reason she couldn't sense them originally was because they were most likely all of a stealth based class and the vault itself seemed to have some type of magic placed on it which fooled her senses. Her master didn't seem the least bit surprised though, but then again he had his special ability 'Astral Projection' so she didn't think it was abnormal. She had no idea the effectiveness of his ability and could only assume its usefulness.

Don Jesef stepped forward and had a smug and self-gratifying smile on his face as if he had just outwitted his foe. He was wearing an elaborate dark, rich purple battle robe which hug tight against his well toned frame and held a rapier at the ready. The ridiculous triangular hat was still firmly on his head except now it had a feather sticking out.

The thugs at his side varied in their appearances but all wore the same smug yet vicious grin revealing their rotted teeth. While they all wore the same sort of equipment, each thug wielded a different type of weapon which some swung slowly while licking their lips. They had clearly been expecting intruders and despite their lack of teeth, they all were eager to bite. Some were especially ogling Lenia with great expectation causing her to shudder slightly.

The vault chamber itself was a large underground room with barrels, chests, and crates pushed against the walls along the sides of the chamber. There were also pieces of furniture, but they were mostly indistinguishable seeing that many of them were covered by large sheets of white cloth. As for the display cases, armoires, and other types of cabinets they stood further to the back of the chamber. This was clearly where all of their valuables and wealth were stored and organized. Everything was arranged surprisingly neat and orderly.

Their leader Don Jesef chuckled vigorously as he stepped forward into the light but something felt off with his movements. It was almost as if he had been preparing for a dramatic debut but stopped himself at the last moment.

"I don't know how you got to Roderan, but there are many magics unknown to me so I suppose anything is possible. I have always taken precautions with regards to my subordinates you see, so much so that the other Dons believe that I'm paranoid. Well, don't you want to know how I knew you had gotten to Roderan? While I don't doubt that tonight's guest has already understood, I suppose I should explain it for the little lady. You see I have all of my subordinates tattooed when they swear loyalty to me, but it isn't a simple engraving I give. I paid a lot of money to have these tattoos imbued with magic which allows me to know whether they are alive or dead. It's quite useful in cases such as this. Still haven't understood?"

He taunted lenia while looking at her lewdly.

"Well then miss let's just say that if my subordinate dies then this tattoo will disappear and surprise, surprise, but Roderan no longer has his tattoo. I wonder why that is because he seems fine doesn't he boys?"

The thugs chuckled and mocked the group with curses and lewd gestures.

"Is this a new form of Necromancy? Wait don't answer that, I want to have fun torturing it out of you."

As he spoke his voice became more and more fanatical.It was almost as if he was possessed by something. Then his provoking manner abruptly came to an end and he stood tall and looked straight at Aleksandros.

"Did you really think that you could just waltz into my domain? The world is much bigger than you know. You are just an insect invading and infesting my realm just like maggots"

Don Jesef began to laugh and his subordinates laughed along with him once again throwing all manner of insults and curses towards the intruders.

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Lenia could no longer contain her anger and would have dashed forward to cut the tongues of all who dared laugh at them but she was held back by her master. Aleksandros took two steps forward calmly, his steps firm and resolute.

"If I'm a maggot then what does that make you?" Aleks began, " After all you are nothing more than cretins beneath my feet. You are inconsequential, a passing footnote in my rise to power. Do you understand fools? Your deaths shall be swift and merciless and no one, no one shall remember you in the end."

He did not yell, but this insult silenced the group's laughter turning their mood rather sour as they were filled with anger. Don Jesef no longer wore his false smile and his mocking demeanor was entirely gone. He launched into a tirade berating Aleksandros as he weathered the storm of insults and ridicule.

"You fucking degenerate! You aren't going to die anytime soon, I am going to cut every fucking inch of skin off your body and roast your exposed flesh over a fire. I am going to feed you piece by piece to my rabid dogs and have you healed just so I can torture you more until your mind breaks and you beg for death. I am going to enjoy torturing you!"

Don Jesef frothed at the mouth, spittle flying everywhere as he raged on with his ceaseless ramblings, forgetting the rest of the speech he had prepared.

Aleksandros waited patiently until Don Jesef tired himself before speaking.

"I will make a deal with you."

Don Jesef couldn't believe what he was hearing and his fake smile returned as he addressed his men.

"Ya hear that boys? This cunt wants to make a deal with us? HA! How about I make a deal with you? Have the girl on her fucking knees and sucking my cock and then I might let you live once I've finished torturing you!"

Don Jesef's subordinates roared with laughter as they taunted Aleksandros with hand gestures and sucking sounds with their mouths.

Completely unfazed, Aleksandros spoke.

"I like your robe. If you give it to me now, then I will let you leave this place with your soul intact."

Don Jesef stopped laughing and looked at Aleksandros as if he were afflicted with insanity.

"Enough games, looks like the boys from upstairs have finally joined us. Boys, let's have us some fun, but don't kill em. Especially that bitch he has with him! Oh, we're gonna have some fun with her tonight! Hoho! I think I'll even let you watch while my boys fuck that bitch into a coma."

While he spoke he rolled his hips around dramatically emulating gyrating motions.

Everything this fool did was overly dramatic and Lenia would have no more of it.

"Master, they have insulted us enough, it would stain my honor to hear anymore from this disgusting filth!"

"Indeed. let no one say that I am not merciful. Roderan, Lenia, slaughter them."

Aleksandros stood still, he had no intentions of joining the fight if it wasn't necessary. He knew the two of them would be enough to handle the rabble. They may have had numbers but not a single one of them was even close to as powerful as Lenia alone. Aleks had previously ordered her to suppress her aura and now that she had released it, they were too dumb and too excited to see the difference in power.

Aleks had intended to be as inconspicuous as possible while within this city and so wished to use his powers sparingly. Nonetheless, it seemed that his actions would inevitably leave ripples in his wake. He already understood this and it was too late to be concerned with that now. He could only move forward with his plans.

Don Jesef's men slowly closed the distance. They were clearly intending to surround their enemies and then beat them into submission. Lenia and Roderan moved swiftly, striking at the nearest of the thugs first. Lenia's movements were fluid and her blade moved so rapidly that it appeared to sing and whenever it drew near to one of her opponents blood sprayed in thick mists as if to welcome her embrace.

Roderan was formerly Don Jesef's strongest enforcer but he wasn't significantly stronger than the other thugs. He could not contain the numbers that bore down on him and he was pierced, clubbed, and stabbed several times. However it did not seem to faze him, for no matter how many times he was struck with a killing blow his body still continued to move as if possessed. When one thug would stab him, another would club him but this only slowed him slightly.

Don Jesef stared blankly at the sight before him, it was unbelievable.

Is this a dream? Am I fucking dreaming? What the fuck!?

He couldn't bring himself to accept the slaughter that was happening right in front of his eyes. Without realizing it, his facial expression had changed from one of arrogant condescension to terror as he slowly begun to distance himself from the fighting. His horror filled eyes locked onto the figure of the seemingly demented man with cloth wrapped around his face and his terror grew. The man seemed to grow right before his eyes becoming a monstrous figure bearing down on him.

Before he even took four steps backwards, his men were all dead. The woman he had lusted after only moments before was covered in blood from head to toe and in his eyes she looked like a demon that had stepped out of the bowels of the nine hells. With the thugs all dead, Lenia halted her movements and slowly cleaned the blood off her blade using the shirt of one of the thugs. It was impossible to clean her body of all the blood which was now sticking disgustingly to her but she attempted to rub some of it off. She then walked to her master and stood beside him awaiting his instructions.

As for his former subordinate Roderan, he was nothing more than a corpse that somehow was stumbling towards him. The body was littered with gashes and deep wounds, many of them exposing inner organs. Despite this Roderan was still making his way towards him. A blue light began to surround Roderan and soon after, the wounds one by one began to visibly close. Roderan's face was the last to regenerate and there was a childish smile painted on it.

"Oy, boss! Sorry, but I have a new master now and my master asks for your robe. It would be in your best interest to give it to him. He would rather not bloody it."

Don Jesef's mind no longer seemed to function. He stood there unable to move and began rambling on incoherently as Aleksandros approached him.

"You had your chance to live and you wasted it for foolish pride. Now, you will all become a feast that my power shall grow."

Aleksandros gently removed the robe from Don Jesef's shoulder not wishing to dirty it and placed the robe around his own body. It fit snugly against him and it felt good, even smelled good.

Don Jesef has good taste, he thought while admiring the robe.

"Kill him."

Aleks gave the order and Roderan shoved his sword through Don Jesef's gut, but he didn't stop there. He pulled it out and repeatedly stabbed Don Jesef as he begged and pleaded for his life. His crying finally ending as he gasped his last before death.

"Look for the mask while I finish devouring these wicked souls."