It was not the first time Glavas was forced into a difficult situation. This was something many animals and beasts shared with the major species. The best way to hunt down prey is to force it into a corner. When pushed against the wall, everyone tends to panic, which only leads to mistakes.

Glavas walked back out and down the set of enormous stairs, which were connecting the entrance to the palace with the town square. People were beginning to gather around. They were staring, but not saying a single word. Sometimes, a murmur traveled around, but other than that, everything was quiet.

"Glavas!" Alma called to him the moment she saw him. "There's freaks gathering around here!"

The hunter reached for his belt and pulled the firearm out of its holster. "Step away from them, now!" he shouted at the people, lining them up with the barrel of the weapon. A few of them did a step or two back, but most did not show any signs of fear in the face of danger.

"You knew about this? All of you knew about this?!" Glavas screamed at the bystanders the moment he reached the bottom of the stairs. No matter how much he looked all around, he could not find a single person that would show surprise or remorse. "All of you know what they do to the kids right under your noses?!" No verbal response. Sometimes, a few people here and there gave him a slight nod, while others stayed quiet.

"It's alright," one of the nearby men stepped out of the crowd and approached the hyperventilating hunter. "This shock will pass in a day or two, trust me."

Glavas as if he wanted to impale him with his gaze. "So you know too?"

"Yes, I do. I came here seven years ago with my twins."

"With your... Your twins?! Your actual children??"

"Indeed. I heard that this place was peaceful. When I learned the truth I saw... an opportunity."

"You... No. No! That can't be real. I'm in some sort of an illusion. You actually agreed to send your own children away?! WHY?! Who would do that?!"

"You have no idea what they were like!" the man finally broke his calm facade. "I loved my wife with all my heart. When she said that we were going to be a family, I was so happy. But... But they took her from me. She died because they were born! For YEARS I mourned her death. But there was no time. I had to feed those two hungry mouths. I took three different jobs. For so long, I worked my ass off from dawn to dusk. And then I came home... and the real work would start. I kept telling them that they need to help around the house, that they need to be strong just as I was! What do you think they did?! Day after day, I arrived to an ungodly mess at home. They always bothered me with their demands and did nothing but complain that I wasn't spending time with them. No matter how hard I tried to explain what I was doing for them, they never understood. They were like parasites. They took away my love, my life, and still demanded more! But then I brought them here. And sure, I missed them for a while. Eventually though... the peace and quiet. I can do whatever I want again. I am free. So don't worry, you will like it here too."

Glavas' eyes widened. The fact that the people around approvingly nodded to that story was making him sick to his stomach. "I get it now... What this city is." He looked around once again. "Does anyone else share those feelings?! Did anyone else here feel freer after getting rid of their offspring?!" Hands upon hands raised to the sky. Glavas smiled. "I get it. Every monster needs a nest. I suppose a den of abusers exists as well. Would you look at that. I'm so old. I've seen so many things. And yet I've never imagined a place like this," he mumbled to himself. Something inside him was breaking. He could feel it. The more time he spent here the less he felt like himself. "The monarch has given me until sundown to decide. I want my peace until then. So scram!" he shouted at the people, who have finally slowly begun to disperse.

"Glavas?" Alma squeaked. Her voice was high-pitched but quiet.

"Don't worry. I'm not like them. Come with me," he told the two and led them deeper into the center of the city, then further again, until they eventually reached the massive wall itself.

"They do not know, Alma," he spoke to her. "Your power is something still unknown to them."

"You want me to break the wall?"

"No. Well... that too, but not just that. I want you to run. Take Surdi and run. Take care of one another. Protect each other. Don't stop moving until you reach that hill overlooking the city. Remember it? We saw it when the cart made a stop there on the way here.

[What will you do?] Surdi asked, sensing something akin to a goodbye from Glavas' voice.

The hunter slowly began walking back towards the town hall. "I will listen to what Alma told me. I'll go kill some monsters."

"Don't forget to come back to us, okay?" Alma shouted back at him but only got a slight wave as a response. Whether it was meant to confirm or dismiss her request, she did not know.

Glavas' motto was born way back when he was still a child. Back then, he was but an apprentice in the hunters guild in his hometown. They focused on the small game, hunting mainly for food, rather than as means to rid themselves of any monsters or aggressive beasts. During his time there, the small elf found a book in the guild's extensive library. It was unlike the other. It was not an encyclopedia nor did it have any educational chapters. Simply put, it was fiction. First one he read in many years. Glavas gobbled up the words in its 300 pages within a few days, but when he was gone, he simply could not believe he had already reached the end. He went to his instructor and asked: "Is there a volume two? This book still doesn't have a protagonist." The older hunter responded: "That is the only one. There is no protagonist."

"But the hunters... they kill people and rob. They fight and cause problems. They hurt people! Who stops them?"

"Nobody, Glavie," the instructor replied. "It's... it's just how things are. Some hunters are like this. Their strength is a gift they abuse."

"Hunters like that exist?"

"Yes. And there are many. Which is why we must be different."

"I will be! I will not harm a person, ever! I will hunt animals to feed people and monsters that would threaten them!"

"Haha, that's a good boy," the hunter praised the little child, not realizing how much would the promise stick with him.

For years, Glavas firmly believed in what he said. He avoided conflicts and kept only to hunting animals and monsters. But time erodes everything, even promises. What should he do when he sees people hurting other people? Should he turn a blind eye out of the fear of hurting them? Or should he go and fight for the promise to protect the weak? It pained Glavas for years. Eventually, his promise shifted. Now he would protect people from both monsters and men, but would never kill. Another decade or two passed and nature once again chipped away at his resolve. When pushed into a corner, Glavas panicked. He killed a man who was determined to kill him. His promise then changed once again. Killing was okay if there was no other way. Like in the case with Peldo, if there was a creature or a person that cannot be stopped in any other way, their life must be taken.

Now, Glavas' perception of the world was shifting once again. He had it all wrong. From the moment he made that promise, he misunderstood things. In his mind, there was a line between monsters and men. A thick, impenetrable line that separated the two. But that was simply a foolish dream. The line is thin like that of a finishing rod. So thin that sometimes, one can't see it properly. So thin, that crossing over it is oh so easy.

He reached into his bag and counted all the crystals he had with him. A few of the rarer elements were missing, but he still had more than forty shots of each of the basics, fire, water, wind, and electric. They would most definitely be needed. For better convenience, he took them out and stuffed his pockets with them. The ability to reload on the go would be key. Once all the crystals were in their proper places, the hunter turned his attention to the gun itself. With a push of a few buttons or entire sections, he took off each part and closely inspected it. Some cleaning was required, but there was no time for that. What mattered is that the weapon would still work. There was no significant clog or residue that could cause problems.

Once the firearm was assembled again, he turned his attention to the instrument on his back. While still walking towards the palace, Glavas swung the gurdy over his shoulder. First, he checked the strap. It was still holding firmly, despite the ragged state. Buying a new one would certainly make the whole instrument look prettier, but as long as it would hold it over Glavas' shoulder, he didn't want to spend money on it. His hands reached for the crank. He spun it a few times and pressed each of the keys to test their sound. They were tuned perfectly, but that was not what he needed. With a few twists of the pegs, he completely changed the noise the instrument made. While testing the notes, he could feel the C shake the air around him. A slight smile appeared on his face. It was perfect. He still knew the right setup.

As the last step of his preparation, he rolled up his sleeve and inspected his arm. The tattoos were probably the only thing that didn't require maintenance, but Glavas still wanted to make sure that he perhaps doesn't have any dirt on his skin. If so, it could get into the brief wounds left behind by the summoned weapons and cause infection. Fortunately for him, it seemed like he was as clean as he could be, given his travels and circumstances. It didn't take long before he finally reached the town hall once again. The citizens were slowly gathering around him, some even carrying knives, axes, or shovels. They knew what was about to go down. The only thing they did not fully realize was the magnitude. Glavas waited a few seconds before he finally heard a loud clanking of stones flood the streets. People looked around in surprise and even let out a multitude of gasps as they saw the farthest part of the wall break and crumble.

"Took you long enough," Glavas smiled and took a deep breath, holding it in for a few moments, and loudly exhaling. "Alright, before we start, is there somebody who would like to reject Rotler's way of life?" Complete silence followed. "Hmm. I thought there would be at least one."

The monarch's advisor ran into the throne room. As usual, he forgot to knock before entering.

"Your highness!" he shouted, making the king drop a piece of fresh bread that was just about to enter his mouth.

"Damn it! I told you to knock!"

"I know, but I discovered something amazing, sir."

"Oh? This better be good."

"We did the conversion of the soul absorption formula and the new golem with the little dragon's soul could function either for about four centuries, or we could equip it with a variety of weapons that would run on the soul energy. It would have the lifespan of a normal golem, but would be incredibly more powerful."

"Excellent! And the estimated price?"

"600% more than for a regular golem. If we put some golden decorations on it, we can probably market it for up to 800% or do an auction to see who pays more."

"Brilliant! We shall raise a toast to that. And to the little dragon who shall make this possible!" The king stood up from his throne and reached for the table when suddenly a sound like the screaming of a graveyard permeated the palace. The noise could perhaps be labeled as music, but only by those with no taste and appreciation for the classics. A wonderful singing voice of the instrument had turned into a wrathful scream. It was a sound so loud that glass began to shatter all over the city. Music comparable only to the shredding of metal.

"What is this?! Someone stop it!" the king commanded and covered his ears. The guards around him moved toward the main door. They were just about to leave and look for the culprit when a massive crack that split the ground outside reached even the palace. The whole ground shook and vibrated. Torches were falling off the walls, setting fire to the wooden furniture. The entire palace... no, the entire city was breaking apart. The earth opened, lava spilled out, and the wind picked up and formed into small tornados. Lightning struck the streets, ending lives at an alarming rate. Ice fell from the sky like a thousand small needles, cutting into those who were too slow in their attempts to hide.

The tremors eventually cracked the entire palace open, and like a monster peeking inside a freshly broken egg, Glavas entered the remains of the throne room. When the guards saw him, their will to fight had disappeared. Though the destruction they witnessed outside played only a small part in it. What terrified them was the apparition standing before them. Only the eyes of the hunter were peeking out of the darkness around him. A dark monstrous foot stomped the ground, breaking the wooden floorboards. A panicked guard desperately tried to stab the intruder, but a clawed gauntlet ripped apart his throat in one strike. His final breath was drawn while looking at a dark helmet with teeth around the wearer's face and glowing spots like eyes staring right back at him from the area where the forehead would be. The others, witnessing the death of their comrade quickly wanted to retaliate, but fear stopped them. They watched the six extra arms on the back of the beast. Each was holding a different object and it wouldn't take a genius to figure out that every single one of them was most likely magical.

The monstrous being did a few steps forward and then pointed at the king. A million voices nearly swept everyone away with their volume: "Here's my decision, your highness!"