Sai opened the door, waited for Shen to enter, then immediately put a knee to the ground.

"Please, release me from your service!"

Shen looked at the guy. The last two years had been hard on him. He had instinctively developed some level of aura control, which was required for any spy or assassin, as he portrayed himself. However, his aura was too tight. Too scared.

"I failed you," Shen replied somberly. "I didn't protect your family. Who are they using against you? Your mother? Sister? Someone else?"

Any organization in the multiverse had to protect its members and employees' families to a certain extent. It was the bare minimum to ensure those people weren't used against the organization. Clans and sects in the Eternal Empire had been even more careful about this.

Shen hadn't thought Earth would be dangerous for Sai and his people. Sai was one of the world's strongest. However, the cultivator had overestimated Marzia and underestimated some of the Alliance race's greed.

Earth's borders were closed, but Marzia could provide visitor permits, which she had done for a few people. The world needed magic technology. Precisely three alien races had exploited a loophole to send troops on Earth under the guise of establishing commercial routes. When she noticed what was going on, it was too late. She reported the loophole to the Alliance, and it was fixed, but it did nothing to remove the undesired guests.

Shen had dealt with the one thousand D-rank ogres, but five hundred D-rank werewolves and seven hundred D-rank shavil—a human-sized cockroach with tentacles that walked upright—remained, plus a few dozen E-ranks from each race. The ogres' deaths had made aliens less bold for a while, but they had become even pushier when they realized the killer didn't seem to be around anymore, while humanity was reaching D-rank.

They spread chaos and fear with crimes but always kept it below the threshold that would confirm them as invaders. If they were invaders of a planet under early protection, they would be marked for exile in a rift. That would see someone at least two ranks above them—a B-rank—come to Earth to deal with it.

Without that, Earth could only withstand their presence or ask for the help of other D-rank aliens, which were likely to have their own agenda. Thus, the planet was in a perpetual tug of war. The invaders pushed the boundaries as much as possible, daring Marzia to ask for assistance. Humans bunkered down, paid tributes, and killed a few invaders here and there when the opportunity presented itself. The only way out was to gain enough D-ranks to push the aliens away.

The only thing Earth had going for it was that human D-ranks were protected. The invaders couldn't kill any human at Earth's peak rank except in fair self-defense. Being fair meant that if one D-rank human attacked one alien, only the attacked one could fight back. If two humans attacked, even if it was the same target, two invaders could fight back. There were a few additional rules to guarantee no abuses, all in the local race's favor.

Unfortunately, what humanity didn't have in their favor was training and equipment. The invaders were simply stronger. It would be a while until Earth could fight back.

So, Shen could guess Sai's family was being held hostage. It was illegal to do that to a D-rank's family, too, but there were plenty of ways to apply pressure without the system considering it kidnapping. For instance, dozens of D-ranks could stay close to an area or person and claim they were protecting them. Nothing would happen unless the system detected ill-intent or witnessed a contradictory action.

Sai's soul control shattered at Shen's question. His soul trembled. Things were even direr than Shen had expected.

"No one," Sai replied. "Please, release me from your service."

Shen looked silently for a few instants, deciding what to do. He could grant Sai's request and kill the perpetrators later, but he didn't like the idea. Sai was free to make his own decisions, like not trusting Shen to help. However, Shen didn't like the idea of allowing external powers to manipulate his people into leaving him, even if he retaliated later. It would make him look weak.

"Your mother offended me in the past," Shen said. "Your sister suffered under my aura. Bring them to me, and I'll release you after I deal with them as I see fit."

It was a blatant excuse to confirm their safety before granting Sai's request. Anyone would see through it. It would either force the aliens to attack, thus summoning a B-rank to send them to a rift, or look like they were making empty threats, thus weakening their hold on Earth.

Shen wouldn't go through with his request, of course. As he had said, it was his fault Sai's family was being threatened. Using them as pawns in a geopolitical game went against his sense of honor.

However, testing Sai's reaction to it wasn't. The guy had said he wouldn't disappoint Shen. Yet, here he was.

The issue wasn't Sai acting in his family's best interest. The problem was the lie. Sai could refuse to answer the question, but saying no one was threatening him into making a decision that would make Shen look weak was the same as manipulating Shen for personal gain. It was unacceptable.

Shen would have accepted an attack, yelling, or a request for help. He might even have accepted looking like a pushover because it was his fault for failing to protect Sai's family. He might still do it. But not like this.

Being understanding was one thing; being manipulated was another, no matter how good the reason.

Sai's soul rippled with emotions. Disbelief, despair, rage. The man's body tensed for a second, ready to attack, before realizing dying here would only further endanger his loved ones.

He looked at Shen, and the eyes under the cloth head cover were resentful. Then came deep sadness. "They found another loophole," he said in defeat. "They'll turn them."

"Which loophole? Who will turn who?"

"The werewolves. They can turn humans. It's costly, and the subject must want it. It's not even considered a true attack unless I report it after the process is over, but even then, they could just leave instead of being immediately considered invaders. They... They seduced my mother, and she is my sister's rightful guardian, even if I'm D-rank. They are keeping them from me, and I can't do anything about it because it's not against their wishes."

"That doesn't explain why you believe they want you to leave my services."

"They said it has nothing to do with me, and I... I believe them. But I can't lose my family, Shen. I can't." His sadness was so overwhelming that even at D-rank, he failed to let tears fill his eyes. "I convinced them to turn me, too, but werewolves cannot be under anyone except their alpha."

Shen stared silently at Sai, barely believing the stupidity he was hearing, then asked, "Sai, do you give me permission to search your mind for illegal manipulation?"

Liya had said the Alliance didn't take well to beings that could corrupt anyone into joining them. The word "corruption" wasn't used liberally. It meant a change so radical that one's core existence shifted at a fundamental level, like the deathwalkers who were so close to the Axioms of Death that they became neither alive nor dead.

Shen had read about vampires at the end of the tutorial's 9th stage. They were like werewolves in the sense that they used physical senses—primarily good looks, sexy voices, and good smells—to convince their prey. It seldom worked beyond E-rank, when one first touched on a Concept, but idiots like Sai were known to exist.

Messing with one's mind was forbidden in the Alliance, but there were ways around it. Manipulating one's mind through non-illegal physical means was permitted if it was completely natural—as in using means even commoners of that race had at their disposal—non-magic, non-threatening, not an attack, entirely physical, and done by someone at your rank. It was just everyday seduction, really; nothing wrong with that.

If you got convinced to change your race by hormones or a nice face, that was on you. If you wanted to follow your seduced family, it was also not the Alliance's business.

However, Sai's reaction told Shen everything he needed to know.

Sai's eyes widened in horror, and he rose to step back. That was usually a natural response to being told your mind would be searched. However, it didn't fit. Sai claimed he valued his family more than his sense of self, and if he were under mental control, they also might. Instead of panicking for himself, he should fear for his loved ones.

Either Sai was still lying to Shen, who saw no signs of it, or he wasn't himself.

Shen might've been unable to do anything about it if he met Sai in another place outside Earth. The system wasn't a police force; it didn't care about reports to investigate crimes. That was left to local forces.

Well, at least the system didn't care before you were B-rank.

But this was blessedly the military. The Investigation Department was one of the most influential, with the power to investigate and pass judgment. And the system forwarded reports to it.

So, Shen said, "I have reason to believe Junior Sergeant Sai Mallik is under mental compulsion. I request an investigation or permission to confirm suspicions on my own. If there's an investigation, I desire access to the results because the Junior Sergeant is under my employ."

Two things happened simultaneously.

One, he got a notification.

| Permission to investigate denied. The investigation will be done by one of your superiors

Two, the Captain made himself present at once through his domain.

The domain pierced Sai's soul and mind. The man froze in place while it happened. A second later, blood sprayed from his ears while he fell to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, panting violently.

The domain retreated, and Shen got two other notifications.

| Access to the results denied except for the overall conclusion: Junior Sergeant Sai Mallik was under compulsion by a D-rank conscript from another race, who will be punished

| You have found and reported a drone within the ranks

| +1 Commendation

| Total: 2

Drone was the official term for anyone under mental compulsion so heavy they couldn't advance in their Path.

Shen hadn't thought things were that sinister. The werewolves were going to great heights to conquer Earth or attack Shen. Both cases suggested a third party pulling the strings from behind the curtains because the snow werewolf race, the one on Earth, only had 2 B-ranks, and all werewolf races had only 7, as far as Marzia had found. That wasn't nearly enough to act that arrogantly.

Messing with humanity was easy, but revealing this level of mind control might cause one of the few self-righteous races to attack the werewolves, not to mention the chance of humanity placing themselves under another race that would use it as an excuse to plunder the werewolves. Turning someone at the peak rank of any race into a drone was perceived very negatively in the Alliance. Some races even officially used it as a reason not to assist an ally in a defensive war.

At least now that it had been uncovered, it would be enough to place all invaders in a rift, with the added benefit of not requiring a B-rank to visit Earth. After all, currently, every C-rank and lower had been conscripted. While most past bounties had been temporarily suspended, mind control was considered an ongoing crime until the victim was released. Crimes on the front lines were immediately dealt with.

Likely, every werewolf who had been on Earth was already getting a ticket straight to a rift. Even if any of them were innocent or ignorant about what was done to Sai, they would be guilty by association. Earth was still under protection, even if some loopholes could be exploited. Everyone in the same group was considered an invader if an individual crossed the line.

"You weren't you, so I can't hold you accountable for trying to manipulate me," Shen said. "I, on the other hand, have still failed to protect your family."

He hadn't failed to protect Sai; the man had been attacked by someone of his rank. That was on Sai. Being someone's subordinate didn't mean being coddled.

Shen continued, "They are safe now, but I still owe you a boon for it. You're free to request anything around the value of an E+ item."

That was more or less the quantified value of Shen's failure to protect a D-rank subordinate's loved ones, at least in the Feng clan. Shen didn't care about the Alliance's rules that allowed werewolves to seduce other races. Not in this case. The girls had obviously been targeted to get to Sai.

Shen concluded, "You're no longer in my service. Come find me when you have decided what you want."

"I don't need time to think," Sai said tremblingly. His soul had suffered great stress, and it reflected in his inability to move his body. "You saved me. You owe me nothing. And I don't want—" He had to stop talking due to a coughing fit. He coughed blood.

"You might've been targeted because of me," Shen countered. "One thing nullifies the other."

Sai had nothing to say to that but continued where he had stopped, "I want to remain under you."

Shen hesitated. He couldn't protect Sai's family until he returned to Earth, which he won't do in the near future. They would be a constant risk of him parting with E+ favors.

That was cold of Shen, but it was the truth. Taking a subordinate in was a matter of risk and reward. It strengthed Shen's position but also came with responsibilities.

However, Sai had been the first to join Shen, and he had been very excited about it, even if because of a misguided belief of what cultivators were. He was also being grateful despite the circumstances. Shen owed the man some respect.

"We can postpone your dismissal until the Calamity ends," he said. "Your loved ones will be protected by the Calamity Protocols until then. I might also find enough subordinates on Earth to set up a protection net for everyone's families."

Shen didn't want to do it, but he had to at least train a group of people to kill the remaining seven hundred D-rank shavil. He might end up using them to establish a foothold on Earth, though he wasn't sure if he should.

Shen felt honor-bound to offer some protection to humanity as their Rising Star but saw no value in keeping ties to them beyond that.

"Thank you," Sai whispered and fainted.

Shen smiled. He approved of the man's tenacity and resoluteness. He decided to base his determination on whether to keep a force on Earth on his personal relationship with Alicia and Sai first and, to a lesser extent, on how much Earth's humanity impressed him in their time on the front lines.

He closed the door behind him as he left the room and was soon knocking on Mark's door.

The redhead opened it at once as if he had been waiting for Shen. "Can we talk outside?" he asked.

Shen nodded. Did Mark fear what Shen might do to him where no one could see them? A dozen Earth's D-ranks were talking in the corridors, and they watched Mark's exit with interest.

Mark left and smiled with warmth and fear at the same time."Junior Lieutenant Shen, I swear I tried to convince them not to attack Evelyn."

The human D-ranks stood upright. They clearly wanted to interrupt, but the moment Mark used Shen's title, this became an official military conversation. Unless they had good reason, they couldn't just barge in. Even with a good cause, they had to state it, and Shen had to accept it.

That prevented friends from stopping each other from saying stupid shit they might regret later, but more often than not, it protected anyone reporting on something important.

Shen frowned. "Evelyn Kora Livingston?"