One month later

If Jesse could describe his life in one word, it would be: interesting. He lost his sister, only to find out she's alive after years of searching.

He discovered that his friends are the ones who did the deed. But he forgive them since they regretted it, even going as far as to admit it to him; the last person in the world that they would want to find out.

Only when he finally found her... she changed so much. It was painful, sad, and relieving. His sister, who's caring, loving, and so kind, became... a nightmare.

What did this? What happened to his sister that she would go down this dark path? But why can't she just come home?

So many questions he wanted to ask, but for now he's furious. Maybe it has something to do with Aiden and Gill knocking on his door at his large house in the City?

So he opened the door... only to throw them back by willing stone blocks to rip out of the ground, wrapping around them, and slamming them into large street outside.

Everyone came outside from the noise. From Petra, to Olivia, to Axel, to Reuben, to his wife Lisa and his adopted daughter Jennifer in her arms.

They all live together in this big house, being a family. So it's no surprise that everyone in that house walked outside, ready to beat up the Ocelots... again.

"You got a lot of nerve coming back here..." Jesse said dangerously, he unconsciously willed the stone on the street to shift with fury.

Lisa, while holding Jennifer in her arms, spoke. "I thought I made it clear, for you and your gang to never come back here." She spoke with authority, considering she's the leader of the Templars/police that enforce the rules here in the City. "Especially on my daughter's birthday."

Jesse unwrapped the stone around the two Ocelots. "What do you want Aiden, another broken arm?" he said, making spikes protrude from the ground near them.

"Wait, wait!" said Gill, waving his arms in surrender. "We're not here to cause trouble!"

"Then why are you here?" said Axel, cracking his knuckles.

Gill took in a deep breath, hesitating just for a moment to collect his thoughts. "It's about your sister."

Everyone went silent, the ground started to shake as if there is an earthquake. "...If you came her to say some stupid joke about her again, I will personally-!"

Lisa put a hand on his shoulder, calming him down in an instant. "Hold Jennifer for me." she said smoothly, passing her daughter to her husband.

She stepped forward. "Explain." She demanded coldly.

Gill took in a deep breath. "It all started one month ago..."

----------

One month ago

How did things get this way? How did it all go wrong?

Those are the questions that Lukas asks himself everyday. But today... today was something grand for those two questions.

It all started when they spotted Jess running through the Twilight Forest, doing who knows what.

After chasing Jess down, Maya trapped her in an illusion as they all, except Lukas, tackled her off the cliff. Everyone except the blonde celebrated as everything went from bad to worse.

They had awoken the hydra that was sleeping inside the hollow hill. No matter what they did, it would always regenerate its health back to peak condition.

Even though it only had three heads from the beginning of the fight, Aiden and Gill managed to cut off two of them, only for a total of four heads to grow back.

So now they had to deal with a 5-headed hydra, while Maya is struggling to keep Jess inside the illusion. Then it happened. Something that occurred within a few seconds, but Lukas saw with great detail.

Black threads emerged from Jess's arm. Within a second it pierced through Maya's chest, and everyone stopped to see the pained expression on her face.

Then it happened. A weird blue-misty orb was ripped out of Maya's chest, causing her to collapse on the ground in pain.

Then they all started to panic. Jess was gone from her spot on the ground. So not only they have a hydra to deal with, but now they have to deal with Jess.

So again, how did things get this way? How did it all go wrong?

It was then a giant spike of obsidian protruded from the ground, under the hydra. It pierced through its chest, breaking the scales as it continued to rise from the ground.

The spike of obsidian continued to rise from the ground, lifting the hydra off the ground, crashing the beast into the roof of its cavern.

Blood spilled from the grave wound. Even though the hydra's heart has been pierced through, it still continued to fight, pointlessly moving its limbs as the heads continued to attack.

Then Lukas saw two serrated blades; attached to their own chains, decapitate one of the heads. He then started to panic, when one head is cut off; two grow back in its place!

But then the blades set the wound on fire, cauterizing it, and making sure that the hydra cannot regrow its heads. Lukas then followed the chains, as saw them connect to Jess!

'How did she get over there?!' he mentally asked with shock and curiosity. It was if she became invisible...

It was just for a second, but in that second he lost track of Jess again. And then seconds later the hydra's heads were cut off. The body disappeared as Lukas saw with disbelief at the crazy amount of drops that the hydra left when it died.

He, as the rest of the shocked Ocelots, Scribed the materials. Their eyes are mixed with shock, envy, and greed. The last two were just Aiden.

The hundreds of hydra scales that is tough as iron but light and flexible as leather. The dozens upon dozens of bottles filled with hydra blood that has fire magic properties.

Then there are the large piles of hydra meat. It looks like a pork chop, but it grants regeneration when consumed. And that's just the start!

There are also the three hydra eggs that dropped as well. Not to mention the Regeneration Core, a red orb with a black outline and veins, which has immense healing properties.

Then there is the red object that is similar to a horseshoe magnet, called the Ore Magnet. When used, it can literally pull ores that are deep underground up to the surface.

Lukas couldn't believe it, how did all of that stuff-?

"HEY!" shouted Aiden as Jess started to put all of the items in her Inventory. "Those are ours, not yours you loser!"

Everything went silent...

"Aiden," desperately shouted Lukas. "are you seriously doing this?!"

"Hey, we were the one fighting the hydra, we deserve the loot!" Aiden retorted. "She just stepped in for the kill while we weakened it."

Lukas let out a low growl. "You got to be kidding me Aiden!" he shouted, making Aiden flinch. "Of all the times for you to open your big mouth-!"

"Now you're starting to sound like Jesse!" interrupted Aiden. "Why are you always getting on my case Lukas?"

"Because you still didn't apologize for what you did three years ago!" shouted Lukas. "You insulted his dead sister at her own funeral!"

"She wasn't even dead." retorted Aiden, rolling his eyes. "If anything Jesse should apologize to us for beating us up!"

"But he didn't know that she wasn't dead. You didn't know either!" he argued. "That doesn't change the fact that you insulted a dead girl at her own funeral!"

"Will you just stop being so stupid Lukas! Why don't you just support your friends?!" He shouted, shoving Lukas. "We are just trying to get some loot and you-"

"I'm stupid?!" Lukas asked, disbelief and shock in his face. "I told you guys when we spotted Jess: Don't go after her, she's level 450. She wiped out Boom Town, she's too dangerous!" He shouted, shoving Aiden even harder.

"Oh yeah, why don't you-!" Aiden was interrupted when a chuck of the obsidian spike launched in his direction, almost hitting him.

Jess was approaching the Ocelots dangerously, but ignoring Lukas. Her normal bored, cold face was replaced with annoyance and rage. She didn't rush at them, or go any slower than usual to make it more dramatic.

No... she just walked towards them in a calm pace. And that just made it all the more horrifying. She used all of her Mana to use her necromancer powers to summon a lich at her side.

Maya scoffed, despite the pain. "You got nothing to worry about Aiden, that's just a fancy skeleton she summoned." She said, recalling the illusion.

Aiden just sent a smug look towards Jess, unaware of the dangerous mob. "I guess the loser can only summon a weak monster." He then put away his weapon and calmly walked towards the lich.

"I'm over level 200, Jess." Sneered Aiden. "You really think a skeleton playing dress up will-"

The words died in his mouth as he stared into the lich's red eyes. Paralyzed for reasons his arrogant mind couldn't understand, he started feeling cold; frozen as the voices invaded his mind.

'...Aiden...' The lich's hollow and cold voice echoed through his soul.

'... I seen into your soul Aiden...' The lich just stared at Aiden as it walked even closer.

'... Such fear...'

----------

He is strapped down to a table that is metal and sterile, while he is naked and bruised.

"Hey... what's going on?" shouted Aiden, trying to look brave. "This illusion you created Jess won't work! You're just a weak then as you are now-!"

It was then he noticed the large cut across his stomach starting from his belly button to his neck. Another one crossed over from his left hip, to his right.

But then he felt something move inside him.

He started to scream in pain and disturbance. It was then metal worms wiggled their way out of his body, out of the wound, making the cuts bigger, blood pouring out, as the worms crawled over him.

The worms started to dig through his eyes and nose, locking them in place as he is unable to scream. They started to drain his life energy as he slowly turned into a dried husk, then crumbling into ashes.

----------

Aiden found himself back in the real world, sweating and frightened, as the lich was even closer. Most people succumbed to the nightmares a lich can create before their life energy is siphoned out.

Good thing Aiden is like most people: prideful and stupid.

'... I'm going to do that to you Aiden... the second my hands touch you...' The lich's hands rise towards Aiden, so close...

"S-Stay back!" shouted Aiden as desperately pulled out his war hammer, trying to defend himself, only for the lich to teleport in front of him. The lich simply touched the weapon as it started to age, rusting as the hammer crumbled into dust.

Aiden started to panic. "Maya, trap it in an illusion, quick!" he demanded desperately.

"I can't!" she said, struggling to cast an illusion, only to double over in pain. "Something's wrong."

"That's enough." Said Jess, her voice cold and calm. The lich stopped advancing as Jess sent a mental command, dismissing the lich as it disappeared.

The anger and frustration was gone, and replaced with pity. But they weren't expecting her voice to come from behind all of them... if Gill startled screaming in surprise is any indication.

Who knew he screamed like a girl?

Jess just shook her head in disappointment. "Why do I even bother with you idiots...?" she said as she started to walk away.

"Hold on," said Aiden. "You're not going anywhere, Jess!"

"Aiden, just stop." Reasoned Lukas. "We can't beat her, she can just spawn more monsters."

"We are going to capture her, and turn her in for the bounty." Said Gill, helping Maya up to her feet as Lukas lagged behind them. "Just like we all planned, Lukas."

"We?!" he said disbelieving. "I wanted us to have a nice picnic here, I didn't want to do any of this! I told you guys that this is a bad idea from the start-!"

"Lukas." Said Jess in a cold voice... coming from right behind him. Startling everyone. How does she keep doing that?! "How would you like to join me?"

To be continued!

Sorry about not uploading, I've been sick.

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