I feel asleep the moment I layed down. I didn't even bother getting in a comfortable position,which I now regret. My whole body aches, every move I make is stopped by a sudden pain in whatever limb I tried to move. I noticed that my contractor was missing but I wasn't worried, nothing weaker than a Barons authority can force its way in here. And if even something managed to sneak past the gate guardians, the constantly patrolling wardens and the stationed enforcers wouldn't let something slip by. She's probably somewhere doing something.

Yeah, I'm gonna follow her.

I'm in no shape to train, which is a shame since I now have the authority to enter all the training rooms/floors. One's authority in here depends on what floor they are a resident. For instance if one resides on the ninth floor the could freely access to all the 'public places' on the tenth floor (training rooms, canteens, medical stations). Being in chains doesn't mean you're a resident but a subject.

So in noble terms I'm a baron. In here, if I may ad. And anyone who is on the second floor would also be a baron, since this floor is just living space. Those on floor one are marquise, the only higher ranked, the dukes, are on floor zero. There's only two who hold such authority here, the supreme gate guardian and the countess. This place was build on the countesses territory long before she was born. The books say that this place was built back when it was a Duchy.

I never saw or much less meet her myself. But nine years ago I picked up a scent I just couldn't explain. The only thing I could compare it to is the presence of an alpha, a born leader one that doesn't back away from challenges and leads by example. But it wasn't the same, there was something to it that wasn't present in all the alphas I have seen. Similar to a trail of blood made by a predator to catch bigger prey.

It wasn't greed, greed smells like a venomous snake that bathed in flowers. It wasn't envy, envy smells like a fish eyeng the oceans. It wasn't wrath, wrath smells like a chained dog that had to endure the elements.

It was pride, no, there's something missing. It's similar to pride, it's similar to all of the above.

I still don't know what it is.

Whilst deep in thought I followed my contractors scent and ended up at a set of stairs. My authority doesn't allow me to go up a floor which is where she went. I thought of disobeying the rules but the thought of being beaten by an enforce was convincing enough.

I'm hungry anyways, I'll go down to eat.

I descended the stairs pausing shortly after each step, my legs scream at me to sit down but my back is trying to kill me. After a to long and painful descendents down the stairs I let out a breath of relief, finally no more stairs!

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The first thing I noticed was that there's a lot more smells here. Food, herbs, medicall shit I don't know shit about, sweat and blood. I greeted the enforcers and made my way with a rather slow walk, my legs want my head on a stick. I of course don't know the way and let my nose guide me, for that I partially morphed giving me dog ears and tail.

After a while I stopped and sniffed the air to get a clearer picture of where to go. A new scent that I just noticed entered my nose, it was faint so sharpened my senses, further morphing. My back hunched and is now abusing me vocally, my fingers turned to claws, my teeth to fangs, but no fur, I still count human(monster).

I closed my eyes and carefully judged every smell, making sure to find a path without any enforcers or wardens. I then dashed on all fours and soon stopped. Fuck fuck FUCK FUCK! This hurts! It hurts!

Let me correct myself, I slowly made my way to the source of the smell. I swear I could hear my body vocally abusing me in my stupidity. I went past the canteen, my hunger replaced with curiosity. The smell lead to one of the training rooms, now I'm pretty sure that it's a residents scent I followed so I turned back to my human form.

And then I opened the double door. FUCK! The warden made it look so easy! I should have taken the smaller door!

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I was training with rapier and dagger like usual. My almost weightless body allows me to use techniques and footwork not meant to be used by an elf like me.

Then I heard the double door open behind me which was unusual. I turned around to see not a warden with a massive frame, but a man with a lowered head. Cold sweat ran down my back. The aura that he emanates, I only felt something like that when I had to cross through the beast department as a child. And back then I was easily scared, now I could stride through there without an ounce of fear. But this man, he was like a thousand beasts. His movements slow, which gave him a strong presence. He lifted his head up, slowly. And those eyes chased a chill down my spine.

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Back in the room Touik woke up in.

On the table there was a note that our mc rudely ignored. It went like this

Hey there Touik

If you're reading this I should already be gone.

Don't worry I'll be back by lunch time.

Since you have been a succes, unlike your siblings, a meeting was called.

Well whatever you do, don't leave the floor, actually waitfor me to come back before you leave the room.

You should know by now that everyone here has absolutely perfect genes, but there's a flaw.

None of them have faced any sort of threat before and hitting a dummy can only do so much.

But you were born knowing how to fight, proof for that is that one warden that's missing a few fingers.

I believe that's because your a monster, who usually fight for their lives right after being born.

So to the common resident you will seem like a monster amongst beasts.

Which you are.