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It was easy to take a life. He had wavered slightly at first, but it had been so long ago. He could barely even remember having done that. Was that really true?

Maybe.

But it was gone and he now had to think of a way to explain to people why there was a red mark over his head and no remorse on his face. He just couldn’t feel it. Regret that is. Satisfaction for having done it was there all right.

He raised his head to check if there was anyone sympathetic to his cause. Owen, the Silver Fox, looked interested in what had transpired, not really minding it but the same couldn’t be said about Ace’s own group. There was shock in Aurora’s and Par’s eyes while the two other guys looked somewhat disgusted. Judgemental.

“I have no doubt you have a very logical explanation for that?” Monthu asked in a voice dripping with sarcasm. That didn’t bode well.

Ace thought for a moment of a believable enough lie when [Evasion] activated and an arrow embedded into his shoulder instead of heart. It took a good chunk of his health but not enough to be life threatening.

But that wouldn’t last long if he stood still as another arrow aimed at his heart rushed at him. He was expecting it now so he dodged fully and turned to where it was coming from.

Or tried as vines sprung through the ground and bound him to the spot. He tried struggling but it was pointless. The grip was too strong. “Excessive Heat” he murmured and “Burst.”

It was something he hadn’t done for ages, or more like tried after the one time it had happened accidentally.

However, everything happened as expected. The moment his little flame exploded near him, a huge fire burst into life on Ace. The flames rose up high in the air, not hurting him but eating the vines surrounding him in seconds.

In a moment, the vines released him as they lost their strength and he moved out of the way of a sword that was coming to slice him in half. As he dodged, he turned so the guy passed him and then jumped on his back with all his skills. They passed easily and he knew the guy wasn’t that high of the level.

That meant he could use his ultimate skill. “Heart-seeker” he whispered softly and plunged his dagger straight to the heart, taking the guy’s life.

A scream came from somewhere behind and he felt three presences coming from behind alongside an arrow. He dodged it and using [Radiant Step] jumped forward and somewhat up. And up until he was out of reach from everything but the arrows.

From there he finally took a look at what was happening below. As he had thought, it was the gate guards attacking him. It wasn’t surprising as he had a flashing red mark over his head which meant he was a player killer. A creature that anyone could kill without any repercussions and even got fame out of it.

But that wasn’t what surprised Ace, he knew that stuff. His mind was stuck on the fact that he had a red mark. He’d killed dozens of people as Silver Wing and never, not once had he been marked.

It was, of course, due to his class’ special traits but why did he have it now? Especially without his fame and infamy colliding into one status. Was this because he was acting as himself and not Silver Wing?

If that was true, then the system of this game was much smarter than he could have ever expected. It would mean it can understand humans and the smallest of innuendos. It was scary in a way. What were machines that were created by humans truly capable of?

A few more arrows went past and he glared downwards, stopping his train of thought. He had some business to take care of first before having time to wonder about random things. “Owen, maybe you’d like to put a leash on your dogs? They’re getting annoying.”

Silver Fox waited a moment before ordering his underlings to stand by. There was a lot of complaining coming out of them but after a sharp word and a glare from their boss they shut up and took a step back.

Ace eyed them warily but went down. He gave his own glare to them and Fox for testing him before turning to his team mates. It wasn’t surprising that their reactions hadn’t become better. If he was pressed to say, he’d vote that they’ve even darkened.

Well, he did kill another player in their eyes without the slightest hesitation. Though, it had been self-defence.

Ace thought he should say something but what was there to say? It’s not like he had a simple explanation as to why he’d done that. Or more like he had but it was simple only for him.

He hated her. Despised. And that was more than enough to do whatever it took to get her out of his sight, in his opinion.

“Let’s go” Monthu said to sir Owen, turning away from Ace. “It would be nice if we could finish our conversation before the night falls.”

Silver Fox eyed him with an indescribable look on his face for a moment before nodding and turning around. “Follow me then. You’ll have to wait a bit before the Council can gather but it shouldn’t take longer than an hour. There’s not that many of us left and we didn’t re-initiate the old offices or every person would be a councilman here.”

Monthu made an agreeing noise and together with the rest of the group went after the Fox, leaving Ace to stare after them with a puzzled expression. What was happening here? Was he being ignored or forgiven without an explanation?

Both things didn’t sound realistic to him.

However, there was no time to really make any choice of how to react. He had to act. Either follow them or stay behind.

He thought for a moment and decided to stay. It would be better if they cooled down before they had a conversation.

That decided, he turned from them and went another way. He could meet with the female assassin and learn more about Sai from her. He doubted he would ever pick them up as his first weapon, but it would be interesting to know them. Any kind of knowledge about fighting was always good, one never knew when it might save his life.

He wandered around, watching the city around him.

It looked somewhat similar to how they left it . Most of the houses were still in half-ruins; doors hanging open, windows shattered and gardens in disarray, lawns overgrown.

Only a few houses looked lived in, but even those were ragged. The doors were repaired in a rushed manner, windows barred with wooden planks. The ground around was walked over into submission rather than cut down.

“Welcome back, Flare!” a young girl’s voice shouted out and Ace turned to face one of the lived in houses. Next to the fallen in gates stood a girl of thirteen with a ferret on her shoulder. The animal released a couple of high pitched noises and ran down to reach for him.

Ace stooped down, extending his hand so the ferret could run it up. He stood up then and brushed its fur with a small smile on his face. “Why are you calling me Flare?” he asked without raising his head.

The girl came closer to him with her hands behind her back. “The council named you that. You’re our hero” she said shyly.

Ace raised his head to narrow his eyes at her. She reddened and after a moment ran away. Ace shook his head, this was getting stupid.

An man with grey hair and hunched back came from the house where the girl had run in.“Flare?” he asked. “Hm?” Ace murmured, raising the hand with the ferret on it. The white fur shone beautifully in the late afternoon sun. “So you’ve come back.”

“It was on our way so we came for a visit” Ace said in an explanation. “How has it been?” he asked.

The man sighed heavily at the question. “Hard, you left us without anything.” Ace scrunched his face in a look that said he didn’t agree in the least. “I know, it wasn’t your fault and that’s why we don’t fault you for that. You’re heroes, you defeat monsters, freeing people, but you’re not builders or farmers. You don’t help us rebuild our homes or collect food so we’ll survive the winter. You protect us but do not care to keep us alive.”

Ace listened to that with a thoughtful expression, his eyebrows coming closer with each word said as he heard truth in it. Players cared for experience and rewards, that’s all that mattered. If there was no restriction about keeping npcs alive, people without a second thought sacrificed them to make it less likely they would die themselves and lose experience.

“Why don’t you hold that against us? Isn’t the word heroes meant for people who do everything in their power to help those around them? Not for those that save others for their own gain.”

The man came closer to him and extended his hand to let the ferret rush it up. The small animal went up as far as to snake around the man’s neck with a satisfied grunt. “How could we? If not you, the word would be forgotten in a decade or two. We don’t like to fight ourselves so we would be overrun by monsters in a few years if you didn’t clean them up every single day. You protect us from them and as long as we’re alive we can try to stay that way, fighting against nature ourselves.”

The kid found that logic faulty. Why couldn’t npcs protect themselves? Wasn’t that only programmed into them? From what he had noticed, they could grow stronger without any limits like players just without knowing it, not being able to see their own progress in levels.

“It’s nice to see you’re doing okay, we were wondering how you have been after leaving us” the man said finally after Ace stayed quite for a long while, pondering what was wrong with this game world. It wasn’t fair.

“You don’t need to worry, I can take care of myself” Ace said with a dry smile. When had the world been fair? “You should pay more attention to your own problems.”

“We are but you’re a story for our children to fall asleep to and when we tell it, we remember you and wonder how you’re doing. What adventures are you having now? What other stories will you leave for us to tell?” That last bit said, the man smiled brightly, nodded to Ace and returned to his house, leaving the kid stare at his closed doors.

Ace wasn’t sure how to take it in. He was a hero? A real one who children were taught about? It sounded so bizarre. He was an assassin, more like a madman as he took no requests. He killed, not saved so how did he become a saviour? Ace was only cover for Silver Wing...

When had it changed around?

He shook his head and left this place, using [Radiant Step] and getting on a roof. The people around were just confusing him more and he already had enough problems with Monthu. Only him since the rest of the group would follow whatever he decided. They might be more outspoken than before he had joined them but not that much.

He half flew, half ran on around the roofs of the city. He went from one corner of it to the other but didn’t get down. People sometimes noticed him and shouted out in wonder or recognition. He waved a few times at them but that was all. He had had enough conversations for one day.

As that thought entered his mind, he felt tiredness wash over him. He looked around for a fitting roof and in moments saw one. Half of it was fallen in but the chimney still stood and could work perfectly as a windbreak. He took out some old cloak and spreading it under himself curled into a ball to sleep.

It didn’t take him long and soon he was lost to the world.

Somewhere another person also wished for that in vain. He was in a meeting now and the five people before him looked anything but agreeable.

“Give us time to consider your preposition. If you could please wait outside while we come to a decision” one of them in a green wizard’s robe said. Monthu knew him as Sir Doran, earth mage and council head. A man you didn’t want to cross.

“As you wish” he said and with a small bow left.

Outside he was met by his childhood friends and worried eyes of his little brother. He sat down next to him, pushing a hand through his own hair. He was sure there was exhaustion written all over his face.

“How did it go?” Aurora asked tentatively. She was sitting with Hawk opposite him and eyeing his tired appearance.

“Not as bad as it could have been” he answered, leaning back against his seat. “There’s a good chance they will agree, they keep us in very high regard. But they need to keep their pride so they’ll try to drag it out, make me sweat for it.”

She nodded at that but didn’t turn her eyes away. There was still one more thing they wanted an update on. Something he didn’t want to even start thinking about.

He was somewhat angry at the kid for that stunt he pulled. Ace was usually uncontrollable and did what he wanted but he had never went this far before. He guessed the kid wasn’t innocent from the way he portrayed himself at the beginning and then after what had happened in this very same Vascas castle.

At that time he had had a hard time believing it had been actually the kid’s work. How could one person kill over twenty people and three times that number or more of goblins? It sounded illogical but this was a game. He decided the kid had sprung some traps and hunted them down one by one like all players did to kill monsters.

He had tried to ignore the fact that some of them had been human players and with all the trouble with Vera it had left his mind all together. He had remembered days later after Ace’s return and it would have been unfair of him to kick the kid out when he was on his best behaviour.

Now he wondered if he had made a mistake back then.

To kill in a game was nothing special, they were created to let players experience the primal joy of hunting, being the strongest of all. However, with the arrival of virtual reality the blurred line between killing and hunting became a stark one.

Monsters were created very realistic but not enough to make people disgusted by killing them too much. It was a way to show who to fight but not everyone followed that lead. Some still became player killers and richer than most other players even with all the downsides of being hunted by bounty hunters and not being allowed into cities.

But not everyone could do it. In this game, when one killed another, he would feel his weapon passing through another’s skin, cutting blood vessels and piercing heart. He would hear the sound’s sliced body would make and smell the blood. It wasn’t something for the faint harder for sure.

Most players weren’t up to it. Monthu himself wasn’t sure he would be up to the task. It was just too sickening.

And the kid had killed like it was nothing. As if he didn’t feel anything. And not even a random person but someone who he knew from reality.

Real life...

It was hard for him to grasp the idea of killing someone you know personally. It would be too realistic and then meeting that person in real life... To say it would be complicated would be an understatement.

But it didn’t seem to matter to the kid. He had simply stabbed the girl and been done with it. He wanted to abandon him instantly for that, he was dangerous, but there was other things to consider.

The kid did have an unusual bringing up. There was something really wrong with his family and those around him. It would be horrible of him to destroy someone else’s haven, a place they could be in peace and rest for a moment but at the same time Monthu’s first concern was his brother and Ace was dangerous.

Something like entering a duelling tournament would have never gained his approval but at least he understood it. There was meaning behind it. A simple wish to play around, try yourself out and, though it was dangerous, it was in a way good for his brother, made him happier and the kid had stopped it all once it became dangerous.

But he couldn’t say the same about killing an innocent girl. It was evident in Ace’s face that he despised her, his eyes turning from soft sky blue into sharp whiteness of ice, but it didn’t excuse his actions.

Especially when she seemed innocent enough. Vera had been forceful and pushy, someone it was easy not to like. But this girl was shy, childhood sweetheart type with wide eyes, small nose and open, heart shaped face. It made one feel protective of her from the first glance.

And he had killed her.

Whatever he thought it always came back to it. The kid had killed and didn’t seem to care about it at all. There had been no explanation, though Monthu doubted he would have wanted to hear one.

“What are you thinking?” Hawk asked, quietly. The answer was obvious but the guy liked to be sure. “Him” Monthu answered as his brother grasped his hand. He glanced at his brother to see trust in his eyes, he would believe anything that his brother decided on.

“Do you think he had a reason to act like that?” Hawk asked again. Aurora looked at them both and stood up to take Par by hand. “We’ve had enough sitting and riding for years to come, I’m sick and tired so let’s go walk around the city. What do you say?” she asked and Par stood up to go with her.

He was a good kid, unlike the other one they knew.

“I don’t think there’s a good reason to kill” Monthu answered once the two had left. “I’d give an exception for him” Hawk said to Monthu’s surprise. “I thought you hated him. When did that change?”

“I don’t hate him” Hawk said with a sour smile. “I just don’t like what he stands for.” “And that is?” “Living one’s life to the fullest, doing whatever is on your mind and enjoying it to the maximum.”

Monthu shook his head. “That’s no way to live.” Hawk nodded. “I agree but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s tempting. I’ve never seen a person before who actually does every single thing he feels like doing. He doesn’t care what anyone thinks of him for that or if its logical or moral. He just does it and tries to fix the situation afterwards.”

“And we let him do that” Monthu said. “We let him back in as if nothing had happened after each of his stunts.” “And that says a lot about us and humans in general too. We would forgive anything that doesn’t pass a certain line. Anything and yet we all try so hard to please others and worry about our images.”

Monthu smiled slightly at that. “Leave the human nature problems to psychologists.” His muscles relaxed as he looked straight to his friend. “But what is that line you mention? What can no longer be forgiven?”

“Whatever we decide it is” Hawk answered instantly. “The kid clearly has no taboos but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t either. We should have pin pointed the behaviour we won’t tolerate from the very beginning.

Monthu now fully laughed out loud after hearing that. “Would you have ever thought to tell a kid he should not kill people in your presence?” There was a sheepish look on Hawk’s face at that. “He’s not a normal kid.”

“True, but I’m not sure how much that changes anything. He might have problems that are too much for us and we should just leave him to solve them on his own or people qualified to help him.”

Hawk shook his head violently. “And who that would be? That crazy suffocating rapier girl? I would hesitate about giving my worst enemy to her and I’ve known some nasty people.”

“So you think I should let him stay? Just like that, pretending like nothing happened?” Monthu asked in a raised voice, his tiredness bringing out the short-temperament in him. He tried to shake it off but it was hard. He leaned his head against the wall, closing his eyes for a moment.

He was just so tired. His exams were coming up in a couple of weeks, he had to decide where and what internship he was going to choose, take care of his little brother while listening to his parents ordering him around and explaining what a disappointment he was.

On top of that he had to play this game with his brother for hours. It had its own problems too such as a lack of income, weapons turning blunt from use and lords that help you only for a price.

And if that wasn’t enough Ace just had to go and kill someone. So now he had to move his turtle quick brain and think of a decision. One that didn’t make him feel like a monster but was also done keeping his brother in mind.

“When was the last time you slept?” Hawk asked from somewhere nearby and Monthu opened his eyes again. “Sleep? What is that?” he asked mockingly. “I meant it. You look like shit.”

“Thanks” Monthu murmured with a thin smile. He was letting himself relax now that he was alone, or well with someone he would trust with anything, and that was clearly not a pretty sight. Even in a game where physical traits from real life wasn’t transferred.

He didn’t want to know how he looked outside.

“You should take a rest for the next few days. We can stay in this city while you rest. Par won’t mind helping people of this place.” Monthu shook his head at that. “I would spend that time studying, anyway. There’s no point to it.”

Hawk didn’t look happy hearing that. “You’re human also. You need some rest or one day you won’t log in and I’ll find you in a hospital. And you know I hate them.”

“I’ll manage. Leave my schedule alone. Better help me decide what to do with that idiot. I’m sure he’ll be back in moments.” “Ask him what he was thinking. If anything.”

Monthu shook his head. “You can’t explain killing an innocent person.” Hawk stood up then, coming closer. “Give him a chance. He deserves it from us for being part of the group for so long.” He then turned around and left through the doors with a few parting words. “Take a rest for a few hours now at least. It won’t be as good as in real life but still something.”

~ Five or so hours later

Monthu left the building, his dealings with the Council somewhat done. Outside the building his brother was waiting with Hawk and Aurora. “Have you seen him?” he asked with a tired sigh. “We should be leaving.”

“It seems like he’ll have to catch up” Hawk said, shrugging. “We don’t have time to sit around waiting for him. The horses have rested and are ready for travel.”

“Bring them here then” Monthu said, moving to stand beside them. “We’ll leave now.”

“What about me then?” Ace asked, landing on the ground. After learning to walk on air he was using it more and more often. It was almost like flying though not exactly that.

Monthu closed his eyes for a moment, giving himself another second to think but there was no new ideas in his head. “What about you?”

Ace tilted his head, not sure what that question was supposed to signify. “Am I free to follow?” “How could we stop you?” That was truth but not what Ace had been waiting to hear and he wasn’t sure how to take it.

Was he being forgiven? Or did Monthu’s actions showed his uncaring as in he no longer thought of Ace as his team mate? Or was there a third option he wasn’t seeing?

Before Ace could decide on a way to react once again, Hawk came back with the horses. There were four of them. Ace’s one was missing. That wasn’t good news.

He ignored it and while the others got on their horses, he ate a mana regeneration amplifying potion and another that decreased stamina usage. He could go and get a horse himself too but it looked wrong to him. If they didn’t want him in the same basket as they were, he wasn’t going to get in himself.

It wouldn’t be too hard to run all the way on his own feet when his team had such horses. Those poor things barely even moved.

The group started moving and he cast [Radiant Step] but it wasn’t only his wish to level up the skill that made him do it. The other reason was that it was much simpler to run on his fields than ground. There were no rough patches, hidden holes or uneven surface there.

That made the running swifter and less energy consuming. Exactly what he needed at the moment.

The pace Monthu set was the same as the old one and Ace could easily keep up. He thought about running ahead or playing around in the air but decided against it. He needed to hold up for a long while.

This was a test of perseverance. Monthu thought about getting rid of him by simply making him feel unwelcome, ignored almost but it wasn’t going to work. He was stronger than that.

Or so he believed before his patience was tested in the most brutal way. Mindlessness. That was his number one enemy on the journey.

It wasn’t like no one talked to him. In contrast, they acted as if nothing had happened. At first it was fine but the running soon took it’s toll on him and he had to pay attention to continue on moving.

Never in his life before had he done anything like this. It was simple exercise for hours on end. His muscles didn’t hurt from exertion but his mind did. He had to repeat the motions again and again.

Minutes, hours, days turned into one single mess as he refused to get a horse in the villages they’d passed. He had deemed this as a challenge and hated himself for it but didn’t back down. He had to finish it no matter what.

“You okay?” Aurora asked him on the fourth day and he just nodded. His stamina was high but the monotone movements were making him go crazy. “How far away are we from that stupid city?” he asked her.

“A few more days’ journey if we won’t encounter any problems.” “We better don’t” Ace muttered under his breath. It was hard doing this and he wasn’t sure he could start it up again.

For better or worse nothing happened and they managed to reach the city of Angels without any incident.

The place was surrounded by a thick white wall that Ace deemed to be no match for him. He flew up to it’s top and descended on the other side so he didn’t have to pay the entrance fee. It was stupid and rewarded him with more than a few curious looks but he was just too happy to be finished with his running.

He just found a closest bench and sat down with a heavy sigh. He was done. He had managed to get here without using any horse and in a timely manner.

It was nice and all but what now, he wondered looking around. As L had mentioned this place was mad about winged humans. Only from his sitting place he could see two sculptures, one fountain, three paintings and dozens of ornaments adorning houses. They were put everywhere - on windows, roofs as guardians or weather wanes.

The passer-bys mostly wore white and other light colours, there was nothing dark in this place. It shone like a lamp and hurt Ace’s eyes. He hated pretended purity. No one was perfect, especially those who said they were.

In ten minutes Monthu showed up with the others and Ace joined them on their way to the city elder. People glanced their way with undisguised disgust as most of them wore dark clothes. Only Aurora and Ace was exempt of their contempt. The red of Par’s robe seemed to remove any kind of affection the people might have felt for him.

“You don’t have an appointment. Make one and come back on the correct time, only then can you meet the city elder. Please abide by the rules” some official told them as they entered a church to the angels that looked more like a castle.

It didn’t give off the feeling of serenity with it’s thick walls and small windows even if everything was coloured white.

“But we’ve come a long way to meet him. We’ve got news of utmost importance to your city” Monthu argued, not moving an inch from his position. Whatever he was in real life, it was clear he’d had dealings with people of the higher society that just didn’t give a damn about you.

“Is it some knew knowledge about any of the angels? If so, we might squeeze you in some time later today. Tell me which one is it?” the man asked with an exited look on his face.

Monthu shook his head. “It’s not about angels. It’s ab-”

“Not angels?” the man asked in surprise, his eyes narrowing into slits. “What are you doing here asking for an audience with his holiness then? We don’t need any free-loaders like you! This place is dedicated to the holy ones!”

“I don’t want to disrespect your beliefs. They are an important matter but there’s a world outside too and a war brewing right outside your gates.”

“So what?” the official asked in a nonchalant manner.”If something horrible comes our way, the angels will save us for our belief in them.”

Monthu looked sceptical at that. “And what if they don’t? What will you do then?”

“It’s not up to us to decide. Most likely the elder will declare a mass cleansing and we’ll gather for a mass prayer to clean ourselves of sin. We’ll be forgiven then if we truly repent.”

“By whom?” Ace asked from the back. “Forgiven by whom?”

“The angels of course!” the man said and Ace smiled sardonically, hiding behind Hawk. These people were so stupid. Gods didn’t care about humans of this world. And even if they did, angels had only been a failed creation. They didn’t have any power.

Praying to them was the same as praying to clouds for rain or sun for a clear day. Absolutely pointless.

“No matter” the man said, turning back to Monthu. “You don’t seem to share our beliefs so please leave this holy place. Only the ones with their souls clean and minds open are aloud to stay here.”

“You shouldn’t be so rash with throwing them out” someone said from a balcony up ahead and everyone’s eyes rose up to look at the newcomer. It was a young man in his early twenties with a mane of black hair and sparkling green eyes. “I think they know more than they let on.”

“Master Horin” the official said with a bow in the general direction of the guy. “What do you have in mind?”

“Kid, the one in the red robe” the youngster from above said sitting down on the railing with a wide smile as Par’s eyes’ widened at being the one identified. “Yes, you. Reveal your right hand.”

The boy did as told and a white feathered bracelet came into view. It shone with a distinctive aura that came from some inner light.

When the young man jumped off the balcony and landed next to the kid, it tripled.