Huh, odd, she's not my type, I thought as I watched the woman take control of the room as if it were second nature. Her body language was fierce, yet it wasn't offputting. It was as if we had come to an internal decision, the whole room of men in agreement, that when this woman spoke, we listened. But that wasn't all of it. Something else was pulling me in; there was more to her than simple charisma. I could feel it; I couldn't spot it.

Trusting my hunch, I went into the system to get answers.

After checking the area logs, I saw what answered my curiosity. The woman, whose name tag was a glowing array of red question marks, was admiring an aura of {+lust}.

Bingo.

The room became hers, and with her presence came another.

A small, unruly girl in a uniform matched that of a high officer in some guild, yet she had the eyes of a feral lioness.

So, this is where you've been, Astra.

With a nod and a wave, I saluted my boatmate. Astra's eyes jumped, but her body stayed still. Whoever this tough lady was, she must be more challenging than even her intimidating aura made her out to be to keep a woman like Astra on such a tight leash. Without another word or motion, Astra went to find a seat next to the end of the table. The other men made no noises; they objected to nothing. The floor was for the newly entered woman to do as she pleased.

And so, she started her tirade.

Nothing will ever be done, nothing will ever change, and nothing will always be nothing and nothing more. Do you not get it? How long will it take? How many opportunities will be squandered? How many benefactors must we watch stab us in the back…

Her eyes were ablaze, and the worst possible situation happened; they fell upon me.

You, adventurer. I don't know how you've made it here, but fate has deemed that you listen to these words. So, first, I will set the stage with some questions to build our understanding and give us a feel for our dynamic and the relationship between your kind and mine. Our cultures are so different, yet we are intertwined in this animalistic, predator-prey relationship, which, from your perspective, is most likely more symbiotic than cannibalistic.

She stopped and sneered. Her eyes were daggers, and her mouth moved to draw another blade. With a smile, she produced an arsenal of pointed swords.

I replied quickly, not because I am particularly the type of guy with a response ready but because I was just waiting for someone to assume I'm deaf, dumb, or just an idiot.

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No, I agree. We use your people, your Realm, and your resources. The foundation for our wealth and enterprises rests on a simple truth. We are stronger, much stronger, able to complete content that the people of the Realm aren't able to, so we complete the content and spread the spoils amongst ourselves, never once thinking of those who make up the towns and rural villages that we use as stops and rest areas on our conquest of the Realm.

I stopped, realizing that the room had grown silent, aching and dragging; I continued.

Even so, I am just one man; you are just a room full of blowhards, probably with your own stories of stepping on others to even gain access to this council. What are you to do?

She continued without missing a beat, demonstrating the experience and grace of someone who, unlike myself, is prepared for the moment and, more importantly, the space of time that comes after the climax.

We start a change. We begin to conquer content like the adventurers.

How? People of the Realm can't cross the systems barriers?

My voice broke out like a wild dog given free rein, and I lost my cool—only because what she said was ridiculous. When entering a dungeon or raid, adventurers must cross a mist-like barrier that they have been unable to cross since the beginning of the system's introduction into the Realm.

True. But there is a way around it.

My eyes bulged, and the rest of the men who had grown placid began to awaken in their seats, moving and rustling, wanting to add to a dialogue that they weren't man enough to enter.

What's the loophole?

She is, her eyes now moving their intense gaze over to Astra.

She'll trigger the dungeon and allow us in.

Her triggering the dungeon isn't enough.

It is if we are under her aid.

Wait, you mean you'll be taken on as followers? How has no one thought of that?

Because no one had enough balls to try, but I have her.

Running the situation through my mind, seeing the fear plastered on Astra's face, my words flowed without my release.

No, you have us. Astra isn't doing this alone.

A quest triggered above.

{Joining the fray}

Its text was bloody red, a crimson smear of letters that spoke of an ominous difficulty. I had only seen these colors a few times, and each time, I was met with a foe multiple times more potent than epic or low-tier legendary raids. This quest was of the hell difficulty.

Great, just what I needed. My first real quest back, and it's one of the seven tiers of hell….

My self-deprecating thoughts came to an end as the madam, who now looked at me with a grin that could never mean good news, said:

Perfect. The name is Jude, and you'll be under our care.

Hmpff, I nodded. Under her care?

The name sounded familiar, like something important, forgotten, left to fester in the back until the information was returned too late.

Jude…Jude…where had I heard that name?

Then it struck, bringing the room to a dark place, where my heart beat to the rhythm of war.

I'd never heard the name out loud, simply at the bottom of notes that were read during essential quests.

Each quest progresses to some higher purpose, a puppet master moving the adventurers with the bounty board and gold coins. Adventurers saw XP and gold and didn't bother with lore or the ramifications of their tasks. They simply checklist the tasks no matter how horrendous or morally flawed they are.

Each note ends with sincerely Jude.

I had just struck a deal with Jude, the Jude herself. But not at the bottom of a note hanging from the town's bounty board, but in the flesh. There was no sincerity here; there would be orders and penalties if not obeyed.

Astra'ss face made sense now, and my horror began to spread over my idiotic lack of better judgment. Jude smiled and turned, leaving the room of men with nothing more and everything less.

Shit, I mumbled, but it was too late for that. We had joined hands with the devil herself. Hell would be upon us, and the only God in the Realm is currently trying to kill me.

Shit, Shit, SHit...