Before Grim could even speak another word, the alley suddenly filled with heavy footsteps and mocking laughter.
The four otherworldly heroes — riding their fine warhorses with royal guards flanking them — had turned down the side street after spotting the commotion from the main market road. They reined in their mounts right at the mouth of the alley, looking down at the scene with sneers and open contempt.
The leader, a tall blond hero named Kael (blessed with fire powers and the Goddess's full favor), pointed at Lukas and burst out laughing.
"Look at that! The useless Fifth Hero finally bought himself a slave wife!"
He gestured at Liora with a cruel grin. "Pathetic. Couldn't even get a real woman without paying for one. And you freed her? How soft. Typical weakling behavior."
The other three heroes joined in immediately, their voices loud and dripping with mockery:
"Oi, trash! Still playing pretend hero while we actually do the work?"
"Buying a beaten-up slave girl? That's your big move? The King will love hearing his 'Fifth Hero' is now a slave-owner turned soft-hearted idiot."
"Walk on foot like the dog you are, carry our bags, and now this? You're not even worth the air you breathe. Go back to whatever hole you crawled out of, loser."
The royal guards chuckled along, spears lowered but clearly enjoying the show. None of them sensed the cosmic storm now radiating silently from Lukas. They still saw only the weak, B-rank Fifth Hero they had bullied for weeks.
Lukas stood perfectly still.
No flinch. No anger on his face. Just a calm, almost bored expression as shadows began to faintly coil around his boots — invisible to the heroes but very real. His new cosmic crown shimmered brighter for a split second in your eyes alone. Liora instinctively stepped closer to him, her new silver robes fluttering, emerald eyes flashing with protective anger, but she stayed silent, waiting for her new lord's word.
Mira's hand rested lightly on Starfang, fox ears flat, tail flicking once in restrained fury. She glanced at you, waiting for your command, but said nothing.
The four heroes kept laughing, completely unaware that the "useless weakling" they were mocking was now more powerful than all of them combined — and that the Wish Djinn who had granted him that power was standing right there.
Lukas finally turned his head toward you, voice low and steady, only for your ears:
"Big brother… they still think I'm the same person. Should I… show them? Or do you want to handle this?"
The heroes were still jeering, not realizing how close they were to something far beyond their understanding.