The once packed streets of Pinespire looked deserted, the only regions with any decent amount of foot traffic being the market, or the area close to the fort walls. The citizens who had decided to stay behind were busy coordinating the upcoming defense. The people at the forefront of this crowd of misfits were the Players from Earth. Having lost their home twice, they had given up on trying to find safe refuge anywhere in this new reality. Instead, they chose to make their last stand right here.

As Aenon stood atop the south gate, he could feel the desperation clinging to the air like oil. His fellow Earthlings were hedging all their bets on surviving this upcoming siege. Something Aenon was doing too. Yes, he could perhaps retreat with everyone to Reality's Edge and rely on Nocthrya's space bending mist to hide. But he knew from experience what would happen if he gave his enemies an inch of ground.

He had taken the pacifist approach once, when he tried to appease his relatives to protect his sister. But no matter how much suffering he endured silently, the monsters were never satisfied. They kept coming back for more, till he had nothing left to give. The only thing he ended up accomplishing was putting on more emotional trauma for himself and his sister. Aenon still remembered the day he saw his sister's lifeless body. Her cold hand that fell from his weak grip, and her serene smile at finally being free. The weight of that scene still haunted him. It was ultimate symbol of his failure to fulfill his promise to protect her.

It was then that he decided never to bow down in retreat. If death was the outcome anyway, he'd rather embrace it like his sister. If pain was inevitable, he'd rather make sure his enemy felt it too.

"We are ready," Thalindra's stoic voice broke him out of his painful memories.

Aenon turned to her briefly but continued to look at the gathering below. His hunting party were marching towards the gate, armed and ready. They were fully decked out in their best combat gear. Ignar led the march, with Jenny and Velastra a step behind him. The dwarves took the rear, right after Bane and the wolves. None of them had bothered to keep their Auras in check, flaunting it with pride as they strode ahead with confidence.

The other citizens had gravitated towards the procession, curiosity and hope filling their heart. It had turned from a quite march to a silent parade. As they reached the gate, Ignar looked up towards Aenon, giving a silent nod of salute. Thalindra unleashed her wraith form and silently drifted down below.

All eyes turned towards Aenon as he stood at the wall's edge. Even those beyond the wall had quietly joined the audience, their gazes locked on the lone sentinel atop their last line of defense.

Aenon considered just heading out in the lead without a word. They all knew where the warriors were heading towards. But no matter how people-averse he was, Aenon knew what the crowd expected. What they needed.

"Staying back in my city was a risk," his voice boomed loudly. "Preparing for the upcoming siege, a fool's errand." He paused to look around before continuing. "And yet here you all are. Your motivations are your own. While some of you see this as a last stand, others view this as the only option. But no matter what the case, one thing is for certain. You have chosen to stand behind me."

His Aura rippled out like a tsunami, engulfing the entire city in its cold embrace. The oppressive force dwarfed the others, making everyone feel the weight of his conviction.

"And for that, I give you my word," Aenon's voice cut through the charged air. "This is not a last stand. This is the beginning of the end for them."

It was a simple speech. And yet his Aura made it hit harder than anything more grandiose. Aenon could feel the subtle shift in emotions. Quite murmurs began to break out as hopelessness was replaced with determination, fear with righteous anger. These were people who the world had kept taking from. Just like him and Harley a long time ago. And like him, they had chosen to strike back. To stand in defiance despite the consequences.

A level 10 woman walked forward, the same one from the time when Jenny stood against the mob. Her disheveled look, and shaky legs grabbed everyone's attention. She stood apart from the gathering and looked at Aenon.

"Can you promise we'll survive?" the woman asked, her voice shaking. Every eye turned back to Aenon, waiting with bated breath for his response.

But it wasn't Aenon who responded. It was Jenny.

"No," Jenny responded simply. Nervous whispers broke out as she stepped forth. "Lord Fenrast has clearly told us in no uncertain terms that following him is a straight road towards death."

The shock and awe were palpable as people exchanged scared looks. But Jenny ignored it all and continued.

"But that is the road to power," Jenny said firmly as she addressed the crowd at large. "To achieve freedom for yourself and those you care about, facing death at every step is just the price of admission."

Jenny conjured up steps leading up to an ice platform. She climbed up and faced everyone.

"I come from Earth, much like you all," she announced boldly. "And just like most, I chose to rely on others for my fate. The city guard, the adventurers," Jenny paused momentarily before speaking the last name, "Erwin."

There were hushed whispers as many people finally recognized her. A far cry from the meek clerk at the Guild. But Jenny didn't bother with the idle gossip.

"When I entered this city as a refugee from Jadefall, I was level two," Jenny continued dispassionately. "And after that hell from the Treant attack, I chose to withdraw away from combat, seeking refuge in the comfort and safety of the Guild. I was too scared to even leave the boundaries of the city, let alone fight. If not for Lady Sylvathorn, then perhaps I'd be standing there with you. A discarded toy of the powerful. That is when I was presented with a choice. I was sent to the ruined village to face my fears or turn back to the safety net I had crafted for myself using the broken pieces of my past life."

Aenon could feel the confusion from the woman standing before Jenny, an emotion shared by the vast majority. They were having a tough time connecting the proud level 99 ice mage with the meek desk worker from before.

"And I chose to face my past," Jenny went on boldly. "And that is where I met Lord Fenrast. He had tried to help me once before, but I had pushed him away out of fear. And yet he helped me again. Not with protection, or false promises of comfort. Instead, he let me reroll my Classes and took me with him. But again, it was not towards a safe haven. He too presented me with a choice. He left me in front of a level 21 Umbral Spider Queen, while I was a level zero warrior."

Several people sucked in a breath at the revelation. Jenny's ordeal under Erwin was public folklore by this point. For Aenon to present Jenny with such an option could be considered downright cruel. Even without the past trauma, the challenge was insurmountable by all standards. A level zero against a level 21 was unthinkable.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"That… that's just suicide," the woman choked out of fear. "It's impossible."

In response, Jenny merely smiled and shared the description of her first two Titles, the ones she got for slaying the Spider Queen.

Title: First Blood (S) | +20% Title stats | Assessment of first kill difficulty found to be extreme. Granting S rank

Title: Underdog | +20 all stats | Defeat a foe more than 20 levels above you

The crowd gawked at the description, their eyes wide in shock. Jenny let it linger in the air before dismissing it.

"Facing impossible odds is our creed," Jenny announced with her Aura laced words. "For that is the crucible where strength is born."

A stunned silence was all that remained after Jenny's bombshell reveal. Aenon felt the faint undercurrents ripple through the souls of those present. Every man, woman, and child was lost in introspection.

Aenon felt inquisitive stares directed at him, no doubt wondering about his indifferent approach to leadership. The way he seemingly threw his followers to the wolves without a care. Many must be wondering if he would do the same to them. A valid concern. But one he bother arguing for.

Instead, he chose to do what Jenny did. He shared the same Titles that she had. Even without saying a word, the message was clear: He held himself to the same standard as everyone else. He bore the same risks he expected of those who followed him.

He didn't lead based on some perverse authority. He led by example. The path he led others on, was forged by his own footsteps.

Utter silence loomed over the crowd, as they absorbed the new information. If they had not seen Aenon sweating in the trenches with them, perhaps many would have refuted his claims. But as it stood, no one could deny his word. Everything he had said, he demonstrated with actions.

Jenny had a proud smile as she turned back to face everyone. She locked eyes with the woman and spoke with Aura infused words.

"You want freedom? Be ready to fight for it. You want power? Be ready to die for it."

Jenny walked off her stage without saying anything further. She joined the others from Aenon's group, receiving a surreptitious pat from Ignar. The Berserker's pride in his protégé was reflected in his puffed-out chest and smile. Even Venge analyzed her adopted daughter with nothing but affection.

Aenon though had eyes on something else: the souls of the crowd. His Sovereign's Eye could see each soulform with extreme clarity. Several weak tendrils begin to form outwards, spreading out like uncontrolled appendages. Connections started forming by the dozens as he felt…something happening to his soul too.

Title Absorbed: Alpha → Unfettered Soul | +120 all stats | +X% all stats | ???

Internalized Skill Evolved: Sovereign's Eye → Sovereign's Aura | A being who stands at the apex, your very presence commands respect and fear. None can hide from your gaze; none can resist your Aura without paying a price. Grants the user the ability to sense and track souls in the vicinity in addition to viewing their true soulform. Additionally, boost your allies while subduing your enemies. Effects range and efficacy improve with use.

Aenon saw the weak threads linking with most people down below. There were a notable few who didn't, but from their emotions Aenon knew why. Anyone who felt any level of loyalty towards him had a weak tether, while those that were still unconvinced didn't have one.

Thalindra must have been seeing the same phenomenon, as her eyes widened in surprise at the scene. The thickness of the invisible links must signify the bond and loyalty they felt towards him, since the wolves and Nocthrya had the thickest connection by far. His inner circle came in pretty close, while the others at large were superficial threads.

But most surprisingly, Aenon felt his stats experience a significant boost from each soul link. The effects varied, but having hundreds of smaller buffs added up to a significant margin. Aenon understood then what the Overseer was trying to accomplish by his vile schemes. It seems the more people who were loyal to him, the stronger he would get.

The only difference: Aenon didn't ask for this. He didn't demand anyone's loyalty, or respect. And most importantly, he had no ulterior motive behind it. He had earned this through his actions. And in place of greed, Aenon felt the burden of expectation to satisfy the needs of so many.

While the Overseer's links were like predatory hooks, squeezing out all the possible benefits from their target, Aenon's tethers were like two-way connections forged from mutual care and respect. The Overseer's parasitic chains couldn't be severed. Aenon's mutual bonds could be relinquished at any point.

A strong breeze passed through the city as time suddenly stopped. As usual Aenon was the only one untouched.

"An inferno indeed" the Nurse let out a tired sigh as she materialized before him. She had her back towards him as she observed the frozen crowd below.

"Inferno?" Aenon asked in confusion. The Nurse though didn't look at him, turning towards the sky instead.

Aenon used his Sovereign's Eye—or well, his Sovereign's Aura—to feel what she was looking at. There was some kind of barrier that was covering the entire city.

"It is getting downright impossible to hide you from them," the System Nurse finally spoke in annoyance. "These little stop gap measures will only work till the end of the tutorial. Once this world is open to all…"

The worry in her tone was disconcerting to say the least. But Aenon smiled instead, standing next to the draugr as he mirrored her action of staring at the cosmos beyond.

"This must be about some big bad that is heading our way, isn't it?" Aenon cheekily asked. "And you obviously aren't allowed to talk about it."

The Nurse looked at him, her eyes distant as she regarded his mischievous smile. She shook her head and scoffed.

"Why do I even bother warning you?" she said in defeat.

Aenon merely winked at her, not bothering to say anything. She shook her head again before turning to face the frozen crowd.

"Be careful of what you have just started," she warned. "So far, your Aura merely had an oppressive quality to it. Now, there will be…more."

"More?" Aenon asked in confusion.

"You somehow combined the dynamics of a wolf pack with your Aura," the draugr dressed in pink scrubs explained. "Although, the enlightened races aren't like wolves—they don't have an alpha—they do understand authority. And you have taken up the mantle of something that many across the Multiverse covet. The disgruntled morons like Velcodirust have been trying to replicate it for generations. Not realizing that the bond takes more than just coercion and greed."

Aenon didn't know what she meant by that, and the Nurse wasn't ready to explain further.

"Just know that what you have accomplished here will have far reaching consequences," she said seriously. "Much further than you can imagine."

"Did my Unfettered Soul Title do this?" Aenon tried to gleam some more information. But the Nurse simply shook her head.

"That may have been a catalyst," she went on. "But it was your actions that caused this. For the first time in a long time, the world has seen how a true leader is supposed to act. What being a Sovereign is all about. Your Path has transformed into something no one could have foreseen."

When Aenon's confused look didn't go away, she laughed out loud, "Good to see the mythical Lord Fenrast stumped at least. Don't worry, you'll figure it out. Like you always do. But remember that you are not just a lone predator anymore. You are the culmination of what the System envisioned to foster one day. Many have come close but fell to the cruel machinations of those who sit above. You…just need to survive."

Aenon considered her words carefully. From his perspective, he had not done anything special. He just continued living his life like he always did—unbothered of how it messed it with the status quo. The warnings seemed dire, but as usual, he shrugged.

"It is what it is," Aenon said simply.

He didn't want to look that deeply into it. He had more pressing concerns anyway. The Nurse gave him a cryptic smile but didn't say anything further. She snapped her fingers before vanishing. As the world resumed, Aenon could feel the difference immediately—his sensing range had doubled along with how sensitive it was.

But the changes went beyond that. Everyone, including his core group, had silent shock etched on their faces. Not only could they feel the shift in his Aura's quality, but their eyes also glazed over. A tell-tale sign that they were reviewing a System notification.

Unfettered Soul | +120 all stats | +83.54% all stats | ???

Aenon felt a rush of power as his stats skyrocketed. It seems the X% he saw in the Title description earlier was variable based on the number of links. He could clearly feel the 30% bonus from his pack, plus the fractional gains from the others. And if his guess was correct, the people around him felt the effects too. They would receive the same multiplier they contributed to him. It was truly a symbiotic relationship. Each party benefiting equally from the other.

Aenon jumped off the wall, landing hard on his feet. The time for words was done.

He gave the hunting party a nod, which they each returned in respect.

"Let's go," Aenon commanded as he started to march out the gate.

The others followed in his footsteps, an army marching to the beat of their hearts. Everyone knew what was at stake here. But no one cared for it.

They marched not for glory, not for survival, but for the simple truth: this city was theirs. And anyone who tried to take it would break.

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