Ray was startled awake by the knock on his door.

He jumped out of bed, his senses on high alert. He quickly composed himself and walked over to the door, opening it just enough to peek through the crack.

He saw the young knight from the night before, a respectful look on his face.

"Sir, breakfast," the young man said, holding a tray of food.

"Huh?" Ray asked, his voice still heavy with sleep. "What time is it?"

"Sir, it's past ten," the young knight answered.

Ray's eyes widened. He couldn't believe he had been sleeping for so long.

He took the plate from the man's hands with a quiet, "Thanks," and shut the door.

He leaned against the door; the tray held in his hands. "What's going on? How is this possible?"

If this happened in the real world, before he started playing Apex Survival, he would have understood this because he was so lazy during those times.

But now, it only made him think. He had slept for over ten hours straight, a rare occurrence since he has gone through so many things.

It was a sign that his body and mind were completely exhausted from the stress of the last few days.

He placed the food on the table and went to the basin to freshen up, splashing cold water on his face to wake himself up fully.

After he had washed, he sat down and began to eat. The meal was simple but filling: a bowl of porridge, a piece of hard cheese, and a mug of what looked like hot cider.

As he ate, his mind returned to the city.

"I'm late, but no worries," he muttered to himself. "I should visit those lords and see what they are up to."

His main question gnawed at him. The people were already suffering from the attacks of night creatures, living in a constant state of fear.

And here, even humans were turning on other humans. The witch burning was a cruel display of that.

What was going on in their minds? Were they so scared that they would do anything to make themselves feel safe, even if it meant hurting their own kind? Or were they just corrupted to the point that they didn't care about human life?

The man in the pub had told him it was about power, but he had to see for himself.

He had to understand the scale of the corruption and the fear. He had to know who he was going up against.

He finished his meal, a cold resolve settling in his heart.

Ray got out to see that the four sergeants and their group of twenty-something guards were already preparing to leave.

Their armor clinked softly as they checked their weapons. As they saw Ray coming towards them, they respectfully greeted him, their hands on their chests.

"Going somewhere?" Ray asked, in a very friendly tone.

Luna had her mood off. She barely wanted to speak, especially after their conversation last night.

The knight with the brown mustache, seeing her silence, stepped forward to answer. "Sir, just for a regular patrol."

"Oh," Ray answered, not questioning much about their patrolling.

He had already found all the answers he needed. He gave a slight nod. "Thanks for the hospitality. Maybe we'll meet again."

The young knight, who had shown him to his room, spoke up. "Sir, are you leaving the city?"

Ray shook his head. "Yes, but after looking at it once again." He glanced at Luna as he said it, but she didn't even give him a single glance.

A smirk played on his lips. "Well then," he said, and with that, he began to move, walking past the guards and out of the stronghold.

They all greeted him again, as they watched the mysterious man who wore an ominous mask on his face walk away.

Ray once again found himself on the streets, the morning sun already beginning to warm the cold air.

The city was quiet busy at this hour, some people were already out and about while others were still were now moving out of the houses.

He took a few steps, then stopped a passerby, a man with a heavy sack over his shoulder.

"Can you tell me where the lord of the city lives here?" Ray asked.

The man stepped back, upon seeing Ray's mask, his eyes wide with fear. He took his time, staring at the unsettling mask.

Seeing the man's hesitation, Ray decided to remove his mask, revealing his handsome young face. "Don't worry, I'm not a demon or something. Can you tell me that?"

The man was still vigilant but answered, his voice barely a whisper. "We don't have a lord in this city, but if you are asking for the big families, then they live to the eastern part of the city."

"Oh, thanks," Ray answered

Ray looked at the eastern side of the city. He couldn't see much from his position, but he remembered those two men who burned the woman alive also ran towards the eastern side.

A cold certainty settled in his mind. He pulled the mask from the side of his waist and hid it in the inner pocket of his coat.

"Let's go and see what they are cooking," he muttered, his voice a low hum.

With his face now visible, he started moving toward the eastern side. As he got closer, he saw a change of scenery.

The bustling, crowded main streets gave way to a quieter, more organized area.

Unlike the close houses and busy shops, the eastern side was much more spread out, with only a few houses—big houses if he were to be correct.

The streets were cleaner, the air felt a little fresher, and the general atmosphere was one of wealth and power.

Ray kept walking, and soon his eyes landed on massive iron gates that separated this area from the rest of the city.

'Oh, so they have their own personal security,' he thought, a smirk playing on his lips.

He wasn't surprised to see this; it was a clear sign of their fear and their need to be separated from the common people.

He kept moving toward the gates, his steps confident, till he was stopped by two guards. They were dressed in polished leather armor, with long spears held at their sides.

"What work do you have here?" one of them asked. Their tone wasn't rude, nor were they polite; they simply asked him, their eyes scanning him for any sign of a threat.

Ray looked at them and answered, his voice calm. "I'm here to meet the people who live here. Can you let me in?"

The guards' eyes widened slightly in surprise at his answer. It was a strange and bold request from a common-looking person.

"You want to meet... for what?" the other guard asked, his tone now a bit more suspicious.

Ray didn't flinch. "I don't have an appointment if that's what you're asking," he said calmly. "Just tell them I'm here. I believe they'll be very interested in what I have to say."

The guards exchanged a glance. One of them, the more senior-looking one, stepped forward. "Young man, you can't just come here without a reason. Do you even know who lives here?"

"I don't know," Ray simply replied, his words confusing the guards.

The senior guard's face tightened with impatience. He felt as if Ray was mocking them. Still, he tried to maintain his composure.

"Go," he said, shooing Ray away. "Go before someone takes offense because of your jokes."

Ray shook his head. "I'm not joking. I really came here to meet the families living here. As for why I don't know about them, it's because I came from a very faraway place."

His explanation didn't help. The other guard finally lost his patience, his hand moving to the hilt of his spear.

"Go, before I use force," he threatened, his voice a low growl.

However, Ray didn't budge. A cold smile played on his lips.

"Force? Don't joke with me. Even ten like you won't be able to force me to leave today."

He was deliberately causing a ruckus, and just as he had predicted, someone from inside, who saw the commotion, came to see what was going on.

It was a beautiful, middle-aged woman, dressed in a crimson dress that revealed her upper part of bosom.

Her face was stern, and she radiated an aura of authority that made the guards straighten up. "Lady..." the guards said, bowing low as she approached.

"What's going on here?" she asked, her voice a sharp command.

The aged guard quickly stepped forward to explain. "This young man wants to enter the residency, but since we aren't sure of his identity..."

The woman didn't listen completely. Her stern gaze landed on Ray, and she looked him up and down, her eyes full of scrutiny. "Why do you want to come this side?"

Ray simply raised his hands, and a sudden golden aura erupted from his palms.

The air shimmered with a holy, pure light, illuminating the area and causing the guards to take a step back in shock.

The woman's eyes widened, and a look of disbelief appeared on her face. The light subsided as quickly as it had appeared.

"I have my reasons," Ray said, his voice calm and confident. "So what do you think? Can I enter, or should I leave?"

"Holy aura?" the woman muttered, her voice full of shock and wonder.

Her stern face was now filled with a mix of surprise and curiosity as she looked at Ray.

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