The door closed behind Judas with a dull thud.
His three wives were gathered near the table, their arms wrapped tightly around themselves as they stared at him intently.
He stood awkwardly for a moment under their collective gaze.
"Don't look at me like that. I am a shy person."
Luna rolled her eyes. "We saw that last night." By saying that, she hurriedly slapped a hand over her mouth.
'Damn it, why did I bring that up now!'
Judas smirked. "About that… I am a bit shameless." He blinked at her playfully, biting his lower lip.
Luna gasped, covering her face with one hand to hide her flush.
'Hooligan.'
"Husband, where are those furry balls?" Nina asked, looking around the room. "What are they?"
"They are my Spirit Monsters," he said simply.
"Wow!" Nina's eyes widened in awe, while Luna and Ezra shared stunned gazes with each other.
Affection Points: 40 (+10)
'How can someone without an attribute bond with a Spirit Monster?' Luna thought doubtfully.
'He has an attribute unlocked!' Ezra thought in surprise, her eyes on him changing to show a bit of respect.
Affection: 45 → 50
[Ezra's affection for you has reached two-fourths of absolute devotion. You have obtained five random common lucky draws.]
'But,' a tinge of worry appeared in Ezra's expression, 'he is too naive. Leaving those men alive was foolish. They will return with better reinforcements.'
Judas caught the silent storm in her eyes, causing him to sigh. He took her hand, surprising her, and then pulled her into a firm embrace.
Nina placed her palms together happily upon seeing this, while Luna covered her eyes with a tinge of embarrassment.
"Who said I will leave them alive?" he whispered into her ear, startling her.
"How did you…"
"How did I know?" Judas curled his lips into a smile. "I can read my wives with a single glance."
Ezra lowered her head, awkwardly struggling in his arms. Judas moved his hands down, gently rubbing her bare waist.
She always wore breast armor and thick pants below, leaving her waist and abs naked. Judas had wanted to touch her toned stomach the moment he laid eyes on it, but he hadn't rushed it before.
But after gaining her affection to the two-fourths mark, he became a bit brave enough to try. And it seemed she didn't hate it.
Judas wasn't a saint. There was a reason he hadn't killed those bandits in front of his wives. That didn't mean he wouldn't kill them.
He looked at the three women in front of him. Strong on the surface. Cold-spoken. Sharp-tongued.
Yet their shoulders always tensed when a sound came unexpectedly. Their breaths hitched when they saw those bandits.
Although they weren't openly showing it, his wives feared violence.
'If I kill someone in front of them… what if they fear me?'
His eyes drifted toward the door. The bandit leader had a Strength attribute of five. Just five. Barely an appetizer.
Judas had Strength ten. And he had the Agility attribute too. If he wanted, he could end someone like that in a few heartbeats.
But why did he have to stain his hands with their dirty blood when he had subordinates to do so?
A cold glint flashed deep inside his eyes.
With a smile, Judas pulled the other two women to him. "I will introduce them properly after we eat. Look, the fish is cooked."
All three heads snapped toward the grill instantly.
Nina's eyes widened so much they sparkled. A droplet of drool glimmered at the corner of her lips.
Her tail wagged so fast it almost became a silver blur. She took a step forward as if entranced.
Luna tried very hard to preserve her noble composure, but her stomach betrayed her with a sudden, loud rumble.
She turned bright red and whipped her head away, pretending it was nothing.
Ezra leaned forward like a hunter stalking prey. Her usually calm demeanor cracked. Hunger showed plainly in her eyes.
Judas lifted the grilled fish from the fire, its aroma drifting through the room.
The golden skin crackled slightly, releasing a scent so rich that all three women unconsciously leaned closer, captivated.
Their earlier fear washed away under the warm haze of anticipation.
Judas hid his smirk behind a soft exhale. 'Good. Keep your hearts peaceful for now. You do not need to know what I plan to do with those bandits later.'
He plated the fish with slow satisfaction, quietly savoring the sight of three drooling, beautiful women staring at him as if he had delivered the food of gods.
For the moment, they were safe. For the moment, they were his.
And outside, far beyond their sight, something else was already beginning to unfold.
* *
Mud splattered beneath their boots as Rigel's battered group limped away from Redfern Village.
Every step was uneven. Every breath was broken, ragged, and full of pain. They stumbled like dying animals, dragging each other through the narrow dirt road that wound between the trees.
Several men leaned heavily on their comrades, groaning with every movement. The beating they had received was far beyond the bruises of a normal scuffle. Bones cracked. Ribs shifted. Teeth rattled loose.
Rigel himself hung between two trembling subordinates. His limbs dangled at crooked angles, each one twisted from the merciless assault of the two furry monsters.
His right arm bent backward in a direction no human limb should ever bend. His left leg dragged limply, toes scraping the ground.
Yet his remaining eye burned bright with hatred. And deeper than hatred… obsession.
The last glimpse of Redfern Village finally vanished behind a curve in the road. Only then did the group halt, collapsing into the dirt like sacks of grain.
For a long moment, the clearing was filled only with harsh panting.
One man wiped blood from his mouth, hands shaking. "Boss… should we keep running? Those things… they were not normal animals."
Rigel coughed violently, blood splattering across his lap. He waved a broken hand weakly. "Stop. Let me think."
They eased him down onto a flat rock. His face was swollen purple on one side, one eye completely sealed shut. The other eye glowed with twisted brightness. Pain did not dull his mind. It sharpened it.
He glared back toward the distant village.
Something dark curled at the corners of his mouth.
"I did not expect such a dirt-poor village to hold an Initiate Monster."
The words were soft, yet venom dripped from each syllable.
Rigel licked his cracked lips, savoring the taste of his own blood as if it fueled his madness.
"Two of them. Fully bonded." His smile widened. "That boy is not strong. He just stumbled on unimaginable luck."
The bandits exchanged nervous glances. Even broken and half-conscious, their leader frightened them more than the monsters that had shattered their bones.
Rigel's thoughts raced, twisting into greedy spirals.
"If I tell the Bandit King what I saw…" His voice shook with excitement. "He will reward us beyond measure. Treasures. Land. Maybe a portion of the mountains."
He began to chuckle. The sound scraped across the air like a dull blade against stone.
Bandit king was an Apprentice Sword master. For him a mere initiate monster was nothing. In his mind Rigal had started to see his revenge.
The Bandit King, his massive sword drenched in the blood of defeated beasts. Monsters falling like sheaves of wheat under the blade of an Apprentice Swordsman.
Judas kneeling helplessly in the dirt. His three wives trembling behind him.
Rigel's grin stretched unnaturally as his fantasy deepened.
"All I need to do is ask the King to let that brat live. Then I will enjoy his three wives right in front of his eyes."
His laughter rose. Louder. Harsher. Cruel enough to make even the hardened bandits flinch.
Then the laugh stopped. A gurgling sound escaped his mouth.
Rigel's men stared at him in confusion. Their leader sat frozen, mouth parted slightly.
Rigel blinked once. Then looked down.
A perfectly round hole gaped in the middle of his chest. Large enough to fit a human head through.
Smoke lightly curled around the edges, as if the wound had been burned open rather than torn.
No scream left his lips. The air never reached them. Rigel toppled backward and hit the dirt with a heavy thud. The silence that followed lasted only a heartbeat.
Then panic exploded through his men.
"Boss!"
"Run!"
One man bolted down the road. Before his foot touched the ground a second time, another circular hole punched straight through his stomach.
He was lifted off the earth and thrown back. His body skidded in the mud and went still.
Another tried to dive into the bushes, but an unseen force slammed him to the ground.
Bones cracked loudly as the earth flattened beneath him, leaving his body shaped like a broken doll.
Screams shattered the quiet forest for several minutes. Desperate cries. Pleas for mercy. Agonized shrieks.
Then silence returned.
Birds burst from the treetops in a frantic rush. A cold breeze swept across the road, carrying the metallic scent of blood.
When all movement stopped, two small shapes peeked from behind the trees.
Nibble and Nubble bounced into view, their fur bristling with righteous anger, little paws covered in dust.
They sniffed once, squeaked in satisfaction, and began hopping cheerfully back in the direction of the small house on the village outskirts.
They headed toward their master to get their rewards for eliminating the humans who dared to covet their mistresses.