Beyond the horizon, the sun had long dipped, leaving the dark blue sky littered with stars that glowed like they'd come to celebrate.
In the pitiful region called the Slums, however, the celebration took a different form.
On the second floor of the two-story house claimed by the Fallen Angel and blessed upon the poor, the children lay in their bedroom, exhausted after spending most of the night celebrating their guardians' victory.
While the children finally drifted into sleep upstairs, the adults remained restless below, the weight of tomorrow pressing too heavily to rest.
On the ground floor, three boys surrounded the kitchen table, holding the sole light source, while Nina stood at the stairway, about to begin a discussion that mattered for the future.
Because Lilac was acting as someone who just met Rhen, she wasn't present; she was exploring the city after stamping to the Union recruiters that she was going with Rhen's team's decision.
And she wasn't actually exploring; she was simply on the watch for the eyes that were definitely set on the team.
Back to the matter at hand, Rhen had to come to a decision with the others on what Union leader they would be joining under.
Whoever they joined could make bringing the Union down from the inside either easy or hard.
And after a few hours of discussion while avoiding talking about their actual plan due to fear of eavesdropping, they were nearing a conclusion.
"Just because Sir Nilo's strength isn't enough to put pressure on us, I think he's the best choice," Oscar said.
Einar nodded in agreement.
"Maybe if I join him, I'll know how he attained that much power without owning a Talent. Oh, I'm excited!"
Rhen chuckled.
"I think we all know it was his brains that got him there. He's known to be a cunning man after all."
Einar looked upwards for a second and laughed.
"If it's really brains, then it still works out! If I'm surrounded by you, Oscar and Sir Nilo, you guys will rub off on me and my potential will increase!"
'This guy never sees the negative side of anything, heh. I was actually attacking him.'
Rhen kept his musings to himself and agreed.
It was nearing 12 a.m., the hour he was meant to meet the people of the lost civilization. Until then, he killed time with his friends.
Most of the time, he just listened to Oscar and Einar review the exam, giving only a few inputs of his own while wondering why Nina was colder than usual.
Then it clicked.
'...No way. Is she still mad about what I said? I thought she would have gotten over it. Even Oscar, someone who understands people more than me, says she lacks the ability to feel much emotions...'
As Rhen silently thought of this, Zena whispered to him.
[Master, the mana of the atmosphere... Although I'm not using my own senses, I can tell something is wrong. There's a disturbance.]
Rhen's eyes constricted as he sat upright.
He quickly weighed his options.
[Zena, what level of senses can you use in your incorporeal state?]
[The senses of 4-5 ring bearers.]
[Good enough. Come out.]
As Oscar noticed Rhen's change of mood, the crows in the slums turned their gazes to their home.
"Boss, is everything good?"
"Check if there's anything wrong in the area."
Rhen had stood up, his hands on his sheathed dagger while he moved around.
Zena, in her unseeable ball of light state, was already scouting the room.
Just when Oscar was about to do as instructed, Einar's chair scraped against the floor before crashing down.
He clutched his throat, veins bulging dark beneath his skin, a strangled wheeze escaping his lips.
"Einar!" Oscar dropped beside him, eyes locking on a sickly green mark spreading across his neck.
His face paled.
"Poison!"
Rhen's body snapped into motion. "Nina, track the source! Oscar, stay with him!" His dagger was already half-drawn, scanning the room with cold precision.
"Nina, find the source of poison! Oscar, help her!"
With a swift movement, Rhen appeared near Einar.
[Zena, I need the highest grade potion that can help with this!]
Rhen didn't even wait for their response, just giving out orders.
[Lilac, come!]
The room began buzzing with movement, sparking the appearance of the attackers.
As if a curtain had been pulled away, Jack and his three other teammates appeared in the main room.
Their faces hidden behind the weirdest masks Rhen had seen.
Positioned in the main room with a grin, Jack threw a fist-sized metal ball with punctured holes after activating its effect.
The ball bounced on the kitchen table, releasing a green poisonous gas and poisonous mana that coursed through the room.
Rhen didn't think twice, using one of his daggers to knock the ball further away.
""Once you're on the floor gasping like fish, I'll carve out who I need and leave the rest to rot!"
Jack wore an expression of wild exhilaration, his yell nurturing the seed of anger within Rhen.
Behind Rhen, who was pouring a potion into Einar's mouth, Oscar's vision blurred, his throat burning and his mana veins aching.
After Einar, he had the second weakest physiology in the room.
"You can't fight poison! You can't fight me!"
Jack stood, laughing, trusting this potent poison that knocked one of his targets out without even activating it within seconds of reaching here.
Nina, positioned near the stairway, was confused.
Her heart pounded. Upstairs, defenseless children; downstairs, her comrades collapsing. Whichever choice she made, someone would suffer.
This was the first time she was out in a situation like this. Many things were at stake and she was in the best position of them all.
With a determined face, Nina didn't hesitate further.
She picked up the ball of holding the poison, her hand instantly rotting, the green consuming her body.
Using her second hand to crush the metallic case, Nina poured the content into her mouth.
Soon, the poison was contained within her body which tenaciously tried to suppress it.
Blood poured from her eyes, nose, ears and mouth.
Her eyes turned green as she spat out greenish-red blood.
At that moment, time seemed to freeze as Nina turned her gaze to Rhen.
Her cold expression was about to break into a heartwarming smile, as if to say she'd finally done something that mattered, but she was knocked out before she even got the chance.
Crouched near Einar, Rhen's black eyes seemed to swallow the light.
The air itself trembled, the temperature dropping as if the world recoiled from what was about to be unleashed.
The temperature of the room dropped as everyone felt their weight increase.
Rhen's gaze said it all as it fell on the main preparator of his friend's pain.
Jack didn't know whether to be happy or sad.