As they walked through the settlement, Sam looked around, taking in the scene. Several wooden lodges lined the pathways, and quite a few people bustled about, giving the place an appearance of being cozy and well-settled. However, there was something unsettling in the air. Despite the pleasant façade, the atmosphere felt charged with tension.

Now, Sam is no battle expert but not entirely unaccustomed to conflict, sensed the lingering stench of blood around these people. It wasn't just a little, they reeked of it, even though they appeared clean on the outside.

Sam's thoughts churned.

"A bunch of murderers, huh? Seems like my gut feeling was right. Coming here is not a good idea," he mused silently, keeping his cool and trying not to reveal his unease.

As they continued, he noticed the people's gazes. They ranged from subtle glances to blatant stares, sizing up his group. Some of these gazes held a subtle but unmistakable bloodlust. Occasionally, Sam would lock eyes with someone, and more often than not, the person would quickly look away, almost as if frightened. This behavior puzzled him. They seemed like predators ready to pounce, yet they avoided his gaze.

"What's wrong with these people?" Sam wondered, feeling a bit self conscious.

"Why would they avoid me? Is it the mask? Am I wearing something weird?" He muttered to himself,

"Wait, no, it can't be. Am i just ugly?" His self reflection was interrupted by Kaya's voice.

"Alright, we're here."

They had arrived at the largest wooden lodge, significantly bigger than the others they had seen. Kaya turned to the group and asked,

"I'm going to be the one speaking. Is there anything you guys want to add before we go in?"

Gabby and Jason shook their heads. Sam remained silent until Kaya looked at him.

"Sam?"

"Just be careful and stay alert," he replied.

Kaya sighed, "Alright, if that's all, we will go in right now."

She knocked on the door, and a male voice called out, "Come in."

Kaya led the way inside, with the group following. The interior was modestly furnished, with a man lounging on a wooden sofa in the middle of the room, two women flanking him.

The man had shoulder length blonde hair, black eyes, and wore an orange Hawaiian shirt, looking out of place in this setting.

Kaya stepped forward, exuding confidence.

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"Nice to meet you. I presume you're the leader of this settlement?"

The man, casually kissing one of the women on the cheek, turned to Kaya, looking her up and down with a lecherous smile.

"Good guess, yes, I am the leader. What's your business here?"

Ignoring his unseemly behavior, Kaya replied, "I seek to create an alliance to overcome a crisis."

The man's eyebrow arched. "An alliance to overcome a crisis? What's this crisis about?"

He leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "What can you offer me to create this alliance? You can't just expect me to accept right? I don't even know who you are."

Kaya flinched slightly, though it went unnoticed.

"I'm Kaya, the former leader of the Stormbringers group in the southwest. What I can offer you is information about an upcoming disaster."

The man leaned back, spreading his arms along the back of the sofa.

"Former leader, eh? Interesting. Did your position get stolen or something? Well, I can already guess why."

Kaya's expression remained calm, though a flicker of anger appeared in her amber eyes. "No, it's because—"

The man cut her off.

"No, no, don't say anything. It's not a shame you can't maintain your position; a woman can't be a leader after all," he laughed.

Her calm demeanor now mixed with coldness, Kaya continued,

"That's not the case. It's because of the disaster I told you about. I have—"

Again, he interrupted. "What are you going on about this so called disaster? Are you sure you're not just making up a lie to regain your leader position?"

Silence fell, heavy and uncomfortable. Jason could be seen sweating bullets, keeping his head down. After what felt like an eternity, Kaya broke the silence.

"Persona, the documents and recording box."

Sam a.k.a Persona shrugged and handed her the items.

Kaya turned to the blonde man, placing them on the desk. "Read this, and if that's not enough, this recording will prove it."

The blonde man ordered the woman on his left to fetch the items. He read the documents, then activated the recording. After a few moments, he yawned and placed them back on the desk.

"Yeah, I'm not buying it."

Kaya was shocked. "What more do you want? The evidence is right there. If we don't unite now, we—"

He cut her off, his voice heavy. "Oi, I tolerated you because you're pretty, but don't act like you have any power here. Even if it's true, so what? We're about a week away from completing the tutorial anyway."

He stood and walked towards Kaya, his eyes gleaming with a predatory look.

"How about this? You become my woman, and I will protect you from any danger."

As he reached out to place a hand on her shoulder, Kaya slapped it away, sparks of electricity appearing in her hair.

"Don't cross the line," she said coldly.

Kaya take the documents and recording box, then she turned to leave.

"I take it you refuse our offer. We'll take our leave."

As she moved towards the door, the blonde man spoke again. "Who said you could leave?"

The two women quickly blocked the entrance, their stance alert.

Kaya's expression turned from anger to fury.

"What's the meaning of this?"

"You want to leave? Sure, but you need my permission first. This is no place you can come and go as you please. Besides, I have business with the Meat Dealer over there."

Everyone turned to Sam, who felt his face flush with embarrassment behind his mask.

'What's with that cringe ass name doing here?! I thought there's no one else remembered that!!' He thought.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?"

The blonde man laughed, his voice devoid of joy. "As expected from the man who boldly threatened to wipe my group out! I'm Emanuel, the leader of Heaven's Gate. Now, you're not going anywhere."

Sam scratched his head, looking thoughtful. "Oh, I uh, kind of forgot about you guys? Nice to meet you, I guess?" His voice sounded awkward.

Silence fell again, the tension thick in the room. Emanuel’s expectation of panic from Sam was met with genuine confusion. For a moment, the absurdity of the situation hung in the air, making everyone pause.