Jake and Carmen sat on the balcony and looked out over the city. Jake saw the mansion in question as Carmen also stared intently. Due to the enchantments placed on the construction, everything was vague, and he could only barely see some people moving within. When he didn’t focus, that is. A bit of squinting, and he saw around the formation and could see the large lawn and even in the windows clear as day.

Peter and Sylphie were still out, with Sylphie being on a super-secret special assignment as she wasn’t interested in gambling, drugs, or sex. She was too young for all those too, and Jake was glad to keep her away from the degeneracy. If he didn’t, he was sure Hawkie and Mystie would somehow find a way to kill him.

“I saw most of them,” Carmen muttered as she also looked down at the mansion, even if it was still blurry to her. “They looked so… carefree. Like everything was fine.”

Jake just kept silent as she talked.

“My grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, parents… everyone was there. Just one big happy family,” she said again. “And… my cousin… the one I told you about… she was just so fucking perfect. Again. Not a single mark, like nothing I did ever mattered. To any of them.”

When she returned that day, Carmen had been a mess. Jake had done nothing more than just allow her to vent as Jake learned everything that had happened. How Carmen grew up in a toxic family that cared more about reputation than not being shit people, how her cousin had always been perfect and pretty much bullied Carmen, and how no one had ever done anything to address this.

How Carmen had finally found a calling only to get that dream shattered when her cousin decided to just straight-up assault her. How the legal system had failed. Jake had to admit he was unable to hold back a small smile when Carmen told him about the day she had smashed in her cousin’s face so hard the other woman had nearly died – and on her wedding day, no less.

Then came the fucked up prison where Carmen had managed to make it by fighting even more. Even guards. They all left her alone as her hand only got worse from her using it to hand out beatdowns. She even confessed she had just considered ending it all at times. Her future was one where parole was something that would likely never happen with her family’s influence, and if she did make it out, she was effectively disowned.

She had been saved by the system like so many others. Finally, she could confront her family. She talked about how she had been looking forward to seeing them all struggling. None of them were fighters, but all were just socialite assholes. They had to have suffered, right?

But no, they were striving.

“The one thing that kept me going every day was that at least that bitch Beatrice was also suffering. But now… now she is just healed. No, better than healed. You saw her, right?” Carmen turned to Jake

“I did,” he admitted. In fact… Carmen didn’t even have to point her out.

“And?” Carmen asked with a fiery glare.

“She looks like the kind of person an army of rich middle-aged men would pay top dollar to make their sugar baby,” Jake answered. He wouldn’t lie… she was one of the most attractive humans Jake had seen. However…

“But… meh, I doubt looks will get her that far in a few years,” Jake added on. While she was hot, Jake had seen more than what Earth had to offer. Irin and Meira both had her beat handily if Jake went by pure looks. Personality, too, if even a fraction of the things Carmen said were true. This was, of course, disregarding people of higher grades.

Carmen nodded but still looked down with an empty gaze.

“What is the plan?” Jake finally asked. It was the part she had never addressed. He could not figure out what she actually wanted. Revenge? Justice? Just to mess them up a bit or the full nuclear option? Maybe even some kind of reconciliation. No matter what, Jake could see she was conflicted.

“I don’t fucking know,” Carmen sneered. “Why does everything just work out for them every fucking time?”

“You know, we could just leave. Within a few minutes, we could be through a teleporter and in another city, never to return. You could forget all about them forever,” Jake proposed. It was only a half-honest proposition as Jake, more than anything, just wanted Carmen to think about what she wanted. He had no real advice to give because what the hell did he know? This sounded like something a therapist was needed for – something Carmen had never attended as her family “didn’t believe in therapy,” whatever the hell that means.

“And just let them get away with everything?” Carmen asked, staring daggers at Jake.

with what?” he

who can just go about their day unbothered. How the hell do they still do so well even now? How the fuck is my aunt D-grade when her only talent is

being a stuck-up bitch I guess,” Jake shrugged. Okay, he was legitimately unsure if the system recognized that as a Path. Being a manipulative person who

the next, like she just wanted to leave. She clearly didn’t know what she wanted.

life while she had managed to rise up again and gain power and status. To experience their situations being reversed. But what she had instead gotten was them still being wealthy, privileged,

pretty miserable being them, huh,”

“What?” Carmen asked, confused.

Jake just shrugged. “All they have is their social

who are nearly all still D-grade?” Carmen

bunch of weak D-grades with just wealth, which will do them no good when faced with a superior force. Have you seen a single fighter among them worth anything? I haven’t during all this time sitting here looking at them come and go. So how do they survive? By them being viewed as valuable enough to be kept around by the City Lord or

the fuck does that matter? Do you think the City Lord will just throw them to the wolves for no reason? They may be fucking assholes, but they also know what

Due to how this entire flow of conversation had gone, Jake had no time to tell what he had been doing. Including his meetings with Renato. “The City Lord seems

“Explain,” Carmen just said.

Carmen seemed to have a hard time believing it, as she looked at him

saying I can just do whatever I want?” she asked

clearly doesn’t want to go against

Chosen of the Malefic Viper,” she shot

an angry guy with a really big axe as well as

universe at all and won’t be for a long-ass time,”

and have godly backers themselves. If he pisses us off, it

as Jake kept

in personal power, you are far beyond them. They can’t touch you in any way. They are forced to comply with what you want or face the consequences. They

will reach C-grade and beyond, and in the meanwhile, they will all grow old and rot away while

warrior from Valhal just took in the words. She had a

them and confront them. If I just leave and act like nothing, I will beat myself up over it forever. I… I want to hear them out… or at least hear something from them. Closure,

as he asked: “Want me to come

him and slowly nodded. “Yeah… just

“What?” he asked.

things get weird,

once more. “Sure thing. Want

continue doing whatever

her to keep an eye on Peter as the guy was acting shady, and so far, it seems like he is indeed up to some shady stuff. Went all stealth mode and began running around with a crystal. Probably recording or scouting for the United Cities Alliance or something. I will probably talk with the

was shady?” Carmen exclaimed,

problem. Renato can figure that

are the

I could get on with three people,” Jake

now before I

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