When we stepped through the portal to Evola, it was early in evening, and although we couldn't see much of the area from the portal landing zone, my first impression was that of a dreary, dark, depressing, neighborhood.

Before we had the chance to leave portal platform, we were met by a group of 3 Evolans who placed themselves square in our path, in such a way that it was impossible for us to pass. They had the typical "city-thugs" look to them but they were slightly more intimidating due to their size.

The Evolans were known to be a large race, and it was clear that these were Evolans as they were at least a head taller and broader of shoulder than the average human. Aside from their physical size, their eyes were a bit further apart and their foreheads were slightly larger and slanted back. Otherwise, they were very human like.

The way they held themselves and the look on their faces, made it clear that this was not the local tourist greeting committee. I was pretty sure If it came to a fight, we would win, but I preferred by far finding a peaceful solution if possible.

"Excuse me," I said "we have just come to visit your city after a dungeon run and we would like to find some place to get a meal and lodging. Would you be able to suggest some place for us?"

"There are plenty of good places to get a meal and a bed in Evola", the one who seemed to be the leader said, "but no one enters Evola without paying the entrance fee."

"I am sorry, I was told that there was never a portal fee when coming from a dungeon portal. So, am I correct in assuming that this a shakedown?"

"Well, I guess you aren't as stupid as you look." he said "I see that you are wearing a dimension storage ring, and I think that I like it. You give me the ring and we may just let you pass, but the girl comes with us."

The leader seemed quite confident in his advantage, but then again, so did I. I could almost forgive them for trying to rob us, but threatening to take Cara was a big mistake and I already felt my blood beginning to boil.

"Don't you at least try to figure who you're dealing with before you rob them?" I asked. "Shaking down everyone who enters through this portal seems pretty dangerous to me, you never know who you are dealing with."

"I can tell a pigeon when I see one, don't try to trick your way out of this, or I promise you that it won't end very well for either of you."

"How about I give you each a mitrium medallion with a large Ruby. That should be more than enough to cover the entrance fee."

I retrieved 3 of the medallions I had created and tossed one to each of them. Their greed showed clearly in their eyes as they examined the gem stones, but were totally unaware that their mana was being drained from them each second, they held the medallion.

"Nice medallion," the leader replied "but I don't think that you heard us, we'll be taking your dimension ring and the girl." He placed his hand threateningly on the handle of a dagger which was inserted in his belt.

"Well, if it's going to be like that, then I guess I will have to take back my medallions." I reached out and the medallions flew back into my hands, to the surprise of the Evolans. As soon as the medallions came into contact with my skin, the bonding runes activated, and I was flooded with the energy the rubies had absorbed from them. I felt power throbbing through every pore of my skin and it produced a high even stronger than when I absorbed mana from a beast core.

"If you don't mind a bit of advice," I said, struggling to contain the power and the rage which were like a herd of wild horses, stampeding through my veins. "In the future I would first try to find out more about who you are dealing with before trying to rob them."

"You asked for it" he said, but before he could make a move, I reached out with my mana as a giant hand grabbing all three of them at once in its grip, and they were pressed together, unable to move. I lifted all three of them off the ground using the pure fury of my will, I closed my mana fist harder and they were squeezed together, their lungs were compressed and they were having a hard time breathing. Their eyes were bloodshot and pleading, but my rage felt no mercy and it was far from being satiated.

They wanted my Cara, whom I had sworn to protect when I took her from her village, the one I loved, and although I didn't dare to admit it, I knew how I felt.

They dared to threaten her, I saw red, as coals, which had been simmering deep in my soul were fanned to life, forming a raging fire that was hungry to devour the object of my anger. I released the full force of my killing intent, but not as a suffocating pressure, as I had done in the past. This time I released it as a pure form of terror, worse than their worst nightmares and I let it sink into every fiber of their being. Liquid was streamed from their legs to the ground, forming a puddle of urine where they had been standing just a moment before.

Through the haze of my fury, I vaguely felt something pulling at me and I looked over to see Cara, crying. Why would she be crying? I thought to myself. How dare someone make her cry! I heard her saying something to me, but the words didn't make sense and I struggled to understand them and little by little my head cleared enough to hear her "Stop, Xander, please stop" she said "you're killing them."

The fog in my mind slowly cleared and I saw the three thugs, still suspended in front of me, barely alive. They looked like they had been through hell, and I realized that they had; a hell of my creation. I released my hold on them and restrained my aura.

Their faces were gaunt, their eyes bloodshot and their fear was clearly visible. They were terrified of me, and rightfully so.

I waited until the thugs had recovered enough to speak, because even though I had put them through hell, I wasn't finished with them.

"In case you were wondering, I have taken your mana, it will come back, but it will take a while. You wanted our dimension storage, so your storages are now mine, hand them over."

They handed over their dimension storage rings without hesitation.

"Normally, I am not violent," I said. "but I really didn't like how you treated my girlfriend here, but I am leaving the choice to her if you leave here as men or as eunuchs, or whether this will be your final resting place."

"Cara, what do you think they deserve?"

"Don't be too lenient on them, think of what they were planning on doing to you and what they have probably done to countless other women." I told her telepathically.

Cara crossed her arms and put a finger to her chin and looked like she was deciding their fate. "You gave us your storages, which is only fair as you were planning on taking ours, but the fact that you wanted to take me as well, for that I think that you all deserve death. But," she passed before continuing her thought. "as this is a new world for us, it wouldn't do to kill 3 locals publicly on arriving, so I think that we should find some other punishment. Maybe one that can to give you a chance to redeem yourselves. Something that we can take, but give back if you show that you are sorry for what you did."

"Xander," she said, having decided on a punishment. "I would like you to take something from them that they can live without, yet they will surely miss. Enough to guarantee their loyalty to us, because if they prove themselves loyal, you will give it back."

The Evolans expressions passed from terrified, to mortified.

"We may be here for a while, " Cara continued, looking each one in the eye, "and while we are here, you will serve us. If we see that you have changed your ways before we leave, we may give you back what we took. If you betray us, or treat anyone else like you treated us, do not expect any mercy, your life will end on the spot."

I reached into their bodies with my mana and transformed them, taking something that I knew they would miss, but could live without.

For them, the transformation was barely discernible, but the emotional effect would be enormous when they discovered the change.

It was not a very pleasant task for me, but I agreed with Cara that they deserved it and it was a good way to assure their loyalty during our stay.

The three of them seemed completely cowed.

"There a few things that I will need to know." I said. "What are your names? Are you part of a gang? Who is your gang leader?"

"My name is Hennisen, or Henni, the person here on my left is called Linx and the one on my right is Saduk. I am one of 2 who are second in command under our leader, Jensu" he replied "The other second is called named Arvel. We are quite well respected in this town."

"Respected or feared?" I asked "You do know the difference, I hope. If you help the poor, or help the community, or set a good example as model citizens, then respected may be the right term, but that is not the impression you've given me."

"Feared, we are feared, not respected"

"How many are you in all?"

"There are 12 of us."

"How tough is your leader?"

"He is pretty tough, he used to be an ascender. He once completed the fifth level of Eternua, if you are familiar with it. That should give you an idea."

"Are there any other dungeons in the area? And how do they compare to Eternua?" I asked.

There are a couple of Dungeon's in this town, but they are newer and only have 3 or 4 levels. The rewards are pretty decent though. Each level is much more difficult than the previous one but a group of ascenders should be able to complete all the levels. "

"As long as we are here, you are working for us. I don't believe that people can change their nature, but I am giving you the benefit of the doubt. I want you all to reflect on your life and ask yourselves if you would like to be treated the way you treat others.

"If you run into your leader, tell him that I want to meet with him. If he's reasonable there's no reason for this to get ugly. Remember you need us if you ever want us to restore your manhood, no potions will undo what I have done.

"Now, maybe you can start by recommending a nice place to eat and a nice lodging, and preferably not in this neighborhood."

They directed us to what seemed to be a nice restaurant in a much nicer area just a few blocks away from the portal and showed us a hotel that was just around the corner from the restaurant.

I let them go but asked to see them in front of the hotel in the morning.

While waiting for the meal, Cara and I checked out the contents of their storage and found quite a bit of gold a few medium and high-grade healing potions. I emptied all the contents into my storage and decided I would give their dimensional storages to Ellie and Seb when we got back.

There were a few of weapons that seemed to be of decent quality. A couple of daggers and throwing knives, a mace and a sword. Once I enchanted them, they could be worth a decent amount.

"Did you mean it when you called me your girlfriend?" Cara asked hesitantly, totally changing the context of my thoughts and throwing me off balance.

"I will be honest with you Cara, but please hear me out. I have liked you since the first moment I laid eyes on you, so yes, I would love to have you as my girlfriend. But I don't feel worthy of you. Everything I am, everything I can do, it isn't me, it was given to me by Will and I would like you to like me for me; for who I am, without being the Dungeon champion, and without all the magic.

"Just before I met you, I had lost my job, I was about to be evicted from my apartment, I had to quit university and I was completely broke. I would like to think that if you found me like that, that you would still like me and stand by me. I had a girlfriend, but when things got tough, she left me, and I was crushed, destroyed, and I am terrified of that happening again, especially now, because my feelings for you are stronger than my feelings for her ever were, and if I lose you I don't know if I could survive that."

"Matt," she said, putting her hand on mine. "I didn't know you then, so I can't say what would have happened then, but I know you now, and what I have seen is someone who is kind, considerate, generous, caring, brave, creative and virtuous and who looks great in a suit of armor." she added smiling mischievously.

"Anybody would look great in that armor," I replied, smiling.

"You say that everything was given to you by Will, but I see a diamond that Will was fortunate to find and allowed you to shine. You are unlike anyone I have ever met, so stop doubting my feelings, there's nothing on this earth that would change how I feel for you now. I have seen the real you and that is the person I have fallen in love with."

"So, you love me?" I asked her, emotions that I didn't want to admit I had, suddenly welling up inside of me, breaking the wall of an emotional dam I had been holding onto for such a long time.

She took my hand, and tears started streaming uncontrollably down my cheeks.

The romantic scene was attracting some attention from others in the restaurant, as I suspected that the Evolans were emotionally repressed, but I didn't care.

Cara was not Emilia, and I felt that I didn't need to maintain a wall around my heart with her.

After a nice long dinner, we got a comfortable room at the hotel and spent the evening getting to know each other in a way that was very different from how we knew each other previously, you could almost say it was Biblical.