Dante, who watched Lucian’s eagerness, was exasperated.
He shook his head.
Seeing his old friend all but falling over himself to please Isaac was strange, but not surprising.
He has always been like this, Dante thought.
Isaac walked quietly between Lucian and Dante.
Lucian led the way.
Dante followed a few steps behind Isaac, scanning the area out of habit.
Isaac’s eyes narrowed slightly.
V ale’s following too.
He could sense the man’s faint energy signature, concealed but still traceable now that Isaac was actively searching.
I still can’t sense Professor Catherine.
She must be using a high-level mind skill. It’s not invisibility, but something that alters my perception of her.
Isaac had suspected that already, but he was now sure of it.
Her disappearance wasn’t physical; it was mental.
It meant her skill worked directly on the mind, twisting how others perceived reality.
The fact that he couldn’t block it despite his Spirit Power being over two thousand meant she wasn’t just using one skill.
His thoughts came to stop as Lucian halted in front of a metal door.
The small red light above it blinked once before turning green, signaling the lock had recognized his clearance.
He turned his head toward Isaac.
"They might beg," Dante said flatly before Lucian could speak. "Or they’ll try to manipulate you emotionally. Don’t fall for that. They’re good at it."
Isaac met his eyes for a second, then nodded.
He already had a plan prepared to deal with the nagas.
Lucian swiped his card again, and the door opened with a low hiss.
The room was plain.
White walls, a steel table, two chairs, and faint traces of disinfectant in the air.
Sitting on one of the chairs was a naga woman. Her hands were cuffed, but her posture wasn’t submissive.
Her hair, if it could be called that, was a cluster of living snakes that shifted around, tongues flicking out to taste the air.
She looked young, maybe barely past her late teens, but her eyes told a different story.
Her eyes were sharp, mature, and unflinching.
Her clothes were torn and stained. Her face was smudged with dirt, yet she carried herself with quiet dignity.
Isaac walked in and sat across from her.
He placed a folder on the table and flipped it open.
Vale slipped into the room unnoticed, hidden from her senses.
Beyond the false wall, Dante and Lucian watched through the one-way glass.
"Hello, Kaela," Isaac said evenly. "I’m Isaac Hargraves. I’m here to decide what happens to the surviving nagas."
Kaela didn’t respond right away.
Her gaze studied him, weighing every movement. Then she inclined her head slightly.
Isaac scanned the first page of the report, though he already knew what it contained.
His eyes stopped on a line for a moment.
[Nagas came to Fortified City 89 because of a prophecy that said the God sleeping in the city would protect them.]
I wonder who the god was if it wasn’t referring to N’theris Serpent. Or was the prophecy wrong? Isaac thought.
He closed the folder softly and looked at Kaela.
"According to this, fifty-three of your kind are still alive. Over half were rescued from inside N’theris’ serpent’s stomach. The rest were captured after the battle.
"You should know, because of your people, our people and this city faced enormous danger. Many lives were at risk. If we follow official procedure, all surviving nagas need to be executed."
Kaela’s face remained still. There was no flinch, or tremor.
That calmness, and control .... Isaac found it impressive.
"I don’t think killing all of you is the right choice. But you’ll need to give me a reason not to."
Kaela blinked once, then straightened her back.
"Thank you for giving us this chance," she said, her voice slightly hoarse from dehydration. "Before I do, may I ask something?"
"Go ahead."
"What is your designation?"
Isaac raised a brow. "My designation?"
"Yes." Her tone was steady. "I want to know who I’m speaking to. A soldier? A negotiator?"
He paused, considering whether to reveal it.
Then he said, "The Lord of this city."
Her eyes widened. For the first time, her composure slipped.
"You’ve taken control? I thought you were..."
She hesitated, as if unsure whether to say it.
"The governor’s lapdog?" Isaac finished for her.
Kaela looked away, but her silence was answer enough.
"The governor was removed. He was using another race to kill awakened humans. That’s treason," Isaac said plainly.
Her snakes hissed softly, as if reacting to her tension. She looked back at him, lips pressed in a thin line.
He leaned forward slightly.
"So, what’s your reason? Why should I let your people live?"
Kaela inhaled slowly. "We will serve you."
Isaac didn’t react.
She continued, firmer this time. "The nagas will serve you with all our hearts. We will obey, we will fight, we will—"
"How should I believe that?" Isaac interrupted. "What stops you from betraying me once you’re free?"
Her voice faltered, and for a moment, silence filled the room.
The hum of the air vent was the only sound.
Kaela’s snakes grew still.
Her gaze lowered to the table, then back up to meet his.
"...There’s a way," she said softly.
Isaac didn’t speak, waiting.
Both of them knew what Isaac wanted to hear.
"Heart Branding Curse. You can use the curse to bind our hearts. It will ensure that we can’t harm you or any human. If we break the command, our hearts stop instantly."
Her eyes held his, unwavering. "You can use it to make us serve you, if that’s what you want."
Isaac leaned back in his chair, studying her expression. "That’s convenient. You’re offering complete submission."
Kaela’s voice tightened. "If that’s what it takes to keep my people alive, yes. But—"
She hesitated, then continued, slower this time. "If you plan to use us like the human governor did, forcing us to do...dirty work, then kill us now. We won’t stain our hands again."
Isaac rested his elbows on the table, folding his hands together. Her tone wasn’t defiant, but it wasn’t pleading either.
’Desperate for survival, but still has her pride. She knows they’ll be exploited if they show weakness,’ Isaac thought as he looked at Kaela.
He respected that much about her.
She had courage without arrogance, and dignity without foolishness.
"Bodyguard, physical labor, city defense, and monster hunting. Those are the four things I want you and your people to do. Anything beyond that, we’ll discuss directly. We’ll provide housing and food, of course, but all of the labor will be for free," he said.
Kaela blinked.
For a second, her expression looked uncertain, almost confused.
"That’s... it? You aren’t going to kill us? Or exploit us like the governor did?"
"Why would I exploit you?" Isaac said. "I’d rather use your strength properly. That way, I get free labor for as long as you live."
Her snakes shifted slightly, as if whispering to each other.
She didn’t know whether to be relieved or suspicious.
On one hand, being made to work without even wages was no different from treating as slaves.
But that was a good treatment considering, they had attacked them and lost.
Isaac didn’t forget what the nagas had done.
His life had been put at risk because of them.
But that didn’t mean he’d let emotion cloud his judgment.
He had already thought it through.
The best way to take everything of worth from the nagas wasn’t through slaughter. It was through ownership.
They would work for him.
Their summons would assist the city, and they would put their life on life to reinforce city’s defenses.
They were stronger than most humans, naturally adapted to combat, which made it all the better.
Until Isaac found a way to raise human ranks further, the nagas would be his elite labor force and front-line defenders.
He closed the folder in front of him.
"Go back and discuss this with your people. Make sure they agree to accept the new Heart Branding Curse. If they refuse, they’ll be eliminated."
Kaela froze slightly.
The firmness in her eyes wavered for the first time, but she quickly regained her composure and nodded.
"Understood."
Isaac stood and walked out without another word.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Vale appeared beside him, fading into visibility like a shadow coming to life.
"Why did you do that?" Vale asked.
"Do what?" Isaac said, though he already knew what Vale meant.
"Ask them to work for us," Vale said, keeping his voice low. "The awakeners whose acquaintances died because of them won’t stay quiet. Some will see this as betrayal."
Isaac stopped and turned toward him.
"First of all, the awakeners and nagas fought together against the N’theris Serpent. Until that moment, only the upper echelon knew the nagas were our enemies.
"For most awakeners, their first real contact with nagas was during that battle, where they fought side by side."
Vale thought for a second, then nodded slowly. "That’s true. They’ll have an easier time accepting them because of that shared fight. But humans still died during the naga attack on the Sanctum of Masters stronghold."
"About that," Isaac said, glancing ahead as they walked down the corridor, "use the Mind Skill user the governor kept. Make him force the governor to reveal everything he did publicly."
Vale frowned. "You want to expose him to the entire city? That will—"
"It’ll shake the city, yes, but bad news doesn’t matter if you bury it under good news. We will announce the creation of the Super Guild, the formal activation of the Fortified City, and a free food distribution program along will it. People will focus on hope, not scandal."
Vale stared at him, surprised by how easily Isaac said it. "Free food? That’s... generous."
"Not really," Isaac said. "It’ll only be for the poor. It’s not charity. It’s investment. Healthy citizens mean a stronger city. And as Lord, I can use as much land as I want for farming. So, I’ll have enough crops to make it work."
Vale began to protest. "But—"
"Anyway," Isaac interrupted, raising a hand. "Have Freya handle the governor’s news release. Her father runs the biggest media company in the city.
"Tell her to spin the story properly. Make it clear that the nagas were forced into obedience by the governor.
"Add that many of them were executed when they refused to obey him. Make the story tragic.
"Show how the governor exploited them, and use it to highlight his cruelty toward both humans and non-humans," Isaac explained.
Vale’s brow furrowed. "You’re turning him into the villain of everything."
"Because he was."
He continued without pause.
"And contact Paul, the owner of Walker Smithy. Tell him to gather all the businesses in outer districts that were suppressed by the governor’s monopoly.
"Use them to publicly support Freya’s broadcast. If they back the story, people will believe it faster."
Vale listened quietly.
The more Isaac spoke, the clearer it became that this wasn’t just improvisation.
Isaac had mapped out every angle, and consequence.
’He’s dangerous. He’s just like the governor... maybe worse,’ Vale thought, seeing Isaac’s careful planning.
He realized Isaac acted like an easy-going person, which in truth, he was like a mastermind who kept record of all information should he ever need to use it.
Isaac looked at him. "Keep an eye on Kaela while she talks to her people. When they agree to my terms, bring them to me one by one. We will apply the Heart Branding Curse."
"Are you sure they’ll accept? They were tortured and enslaved with the same curse before. Some of them still have mental scars from it," Vale asked.
Isaac gave a faint smile. "They’ll agree, Vale. They’re survivors. They’ve fought too long to throw their lives away now."
He left the building, stepping into the night light.
Vale stayed behind, still trying to wrap his head around everything.
Isaac walked toward the black vehicle waiting by the entrance.
When he opened the door, he blinked, and Professor Catherine appeared in the driver seat as if she had always been there.
"Home?" she asked, already buckling her seatbelt.
"Yes, home," Isaac said.
He leaned back in his seat as the car started to move.
He wasn’t worried about Vale.
The man had once led the top guild.
Handling political fallout was nothing new for him.
Still, Isaac pulled out his communication device and sent quick messages to Freya and Paul, just to make sure the plan moved smoothly.
[Isaac: Freya, handle the news about the governor. Spin it positively. Vale will give you the details.]
[Freya: Understood. We’ll take care of it.]
[Isaac: Paul, gather the business owners who suffered under the governor. Support Freya’s broadcast. Vale will come to you to explain everything in detail.]
[Paul: Leave it to me, big bro!]
Satisfied, Isaac was about to put the device away when he paused.
His gaze stopped on one name. Alice.
Her profile showed no new messages, no replies, or even a seen mark.
He frowned.
"Where’s Alice?" he asked quietly, glancing toward Professor Catherine.
"She told me not to tell you," Professor Catherine said. Her tone was light, almost teasing.
"So, she’s ignoring me now." Isaac clicked his tongue.
"Maybe she just needs some space. Shouldn’t you let her be?"
"If she wants space, she should tell that to me instead of disappearing without a word," Isaac said.
He looked out the window, the city lights beginning to turn on as dusk approached.
Then he sighed. "Stop the car."
Professor Catherine raised a brow. "Why?"
"I’m going to find her."
"Maybe you should give her the space she wants," Professor Catherine said with an amused smile.
"If she wants to do what she wants without giving me any explanation, then I’ll do the same," he said firmly. "Tell Celia and Emily I’ll come home late."
He opened the car door and stepped out.
The night wind hit him instantly, cool and heavy with the smell of metal and rain.
Four black wings unfolded from his back, spreading wide.
The wings shimmered faintly with a dark luster. They looked both majestic and ominous.
He crouched slightly and then launched himself upward, the gust from his wings scattering dust along the road.
Within seconds, he was high above the city, the skyline stretching beneath him in a mix of shadow and light.
Professor Catherine watched from the car window, a faint smile curling on her lips.
"I told you, Alice," she said softly, amused. "He has changed."
She leaned back in her seat as the car door closed automatically. The sound of Isaac’s wings faded into the distance, leaving only the quiet hum of the city below.