Pant... pant...

  A man was running with all his might through the walls around the big FlameBlood family manor.

  "This wasn't stated on the mission!" He complained, as a floating screen menu showed errors all over it.

  

  
• 
  
    Error! *Error!
  
    


  
• 
  
    You have been caught.
  
    


  
• 
  
    Mission Failed!
  
    


  

  "Shut the f*ck up! You useless system." He said to the floating screen.

  

  
• Beginning punishment... initializing in 5 minutes.


  

  The menu started to sound much more eerie.

  "Shut up! Shut up!" The man started to panic, as he tried his best to run.

  Boom!

  A fireball was thrown towards him. The man couldn't react fully, causing him to fall.

  "Shit! They caught up." He said as smoke covered his vision.

  As he tried to get up and run, suddenly a hand appeared and grabbed him by his neck.

  Not only that, a pressuring aura also caused him to fall down to the ground, while the hand strangled him and pulled him up.

  It felt like his head was going to split from his body.

  "Aghhh..." The man groaned in indescribable pain.

  

  
• 
  
    Warning! Warning!
  
    


  
• 
  
    Your life is in danger.
  
    


  

  The system warned him.

  Splash...

  Before he even had the chance to do anything, his head had been ripped effortlessly from his body.

  "The best way to deal with OUTSIDERs is by killing them as fast as possible." Aasiah explained, while we were looking at a crystal ball which projected a gruesome scene.

  'Ugh... that old man really is merciless.' Deed complained about the head butler's way of doing things.

  As for me, I obviously couldn't handle this type of gore, so I just squinted my eyes as much as possible so that everything just became blurry.

  "What happens if they aren't killed as soon as possible?" I asked Aasiah.

  "They'll turn into unique monsters." Aasiah said in her mini form, like a teacher.

  'Which is very troublesome to handle.' Deed said. 'However, the earlier they are killed, the better. If left unattended, they'll gain intelligence and have the ability to think and plan.'

  In an instant, the head butler who I had seen in the crystal ball suddenly reappeared in front of us.

  "Interrogation is never a choice with OUTSIDERs. All 6 have been executed on the spot." The head butler said. "All this wouldn't be possible without the help of you two." He said, while being grateful.

  Suddenly, rushing footsteps could be heard from the door. The door was thrown open with a heavy force. It was a small figure holding a scythe far bigger than her.

  "Deed!" It was Erica, looking worried. "There you are..." She took a breath of relief.

  "What's the matter, young lady?" I asked her.

  She started rubbing her forehead as if something bad had happened.

  "I'm just glad you're not one of them." Erica said as she started becoming calmer.

  "What happened?" I asked towards the head butler instead.

  "I guess it's better if the young lady herself explains it to you." The head butler said as he poured newly brewed milk tea into a cup.

  Erica pressed her scythe to the ground as it slowly retracted itself into a small stick, which she put back into a bag on her waist.

  The head butler served Erica a drink as she sat right next to me.

  "Some of my bodyguards, they were executed. Even our coachman and chef that were supposed to accompany us on our trip." Erica said as she felt somewhat dejected.

  "All this time, I never knew they were OUTSIDERs..." She said, like a failed employer who had misjudged her decisions.

  Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

  She slowly sipped her milk tea to cheer herself up, then she noticed a living doll in my pocket.

  "Deed... I thought you had matured..." She said, looking me dead in the eyes. "Yet here you are playing with a cute doll." She said sarcastically.

  "I heard you were the first to notice there's a traitor in the manor." She continued. "As your employer, we'll reward you handsomely." She said maturely.

  She then grabbed Aasiah from my pocket and started playing with her.

  "Woahh, this doll is so cuteee, it can even move on its own!" She couldn't help but adore her.

  It seemed like she didn't know that the doll was one of the Seven Wise Men.

  However, the head butler tried to warn Erica about it, but Aasiah made a cut-throat gesture at her neck, telling Fuhrer that she'd kill him if he said another word. Which made him hesitate and get flustered.

  'Hahahaha...' Deed couldn't hold his laugh. 'I never saw that old monster act like that in my past life.'

  "Honorable one, don't worry about me. This is all part of the act so I can accompany you on your journey." I could hear a voice directly in my head and I looked towards the source of it. It was Aasiah giving me a thumbs up with her mini doll version as Erica was still playing with her.

  Telepathy?

  'I guess that's more convenient. Regular people won't be able to detect her real identity that way.' Zeroze said.

  'You can ask her to teach you about SoulCraft, Null.' Zeroze created a quest. 'Compared to Deed, she'll do a better job at teaching.'

  'Hey!' Deed struck back.

  "About the trip, it seems we'll be delaying it for a week." Erica said. "Regardless, as a noble I still can't just abandon my duty."

  Please just cancel the trip altogether young lady... I begged in my heart.

  "Our investigation team will do their best. Please be at ease, young lady." The head butler said, trying to calm Erica.

  'Bah! At best this whole incident will be reported to the central city. As it involves OUTSIDERs, someone powerful will be sent here to investigate the whole thing as well.' Deed said, knowing full well the procedure involving OUTSIDERs.

  'That doesn't change our goal regardless. Null still needs to be strong. This delay will serve well for more training.' Zeroze reminded.

  'Hmm... if I'm being rewarded by them for helping to find the OUTSIDERs, won't that attract unwanted attention?' I asked my other selves while being worried about my own safety.

  'Being cautious is a good trait.' ROH complimented me.

  "Can you not tell anybody that I've helped in this incident." I made a request to the head butler. Well, technically I didn't really do anything.

  [As expected of the honorable one, to be able to reject even fame. Aasiah thought highly of Null.]

  "Why? This is a great chance for you too." Instead of the head butler, it was Erica who wasn't expecting me to say that. "The merits and rewards involving OUTSIDERs aren't low, and you could even be promoted from your peasant life." But I still insisted.

  Erica seemed happy that I could have the chance to even become a noble... but won't that raise more of my death flags?

  A young man who had helped identify OUTSIDERs that weren't detected by even one of the Seven Wise Men got instantly promoted into a noble... and was found dead mysteriously in his new manor...

  I imagined a gruesome scene of my death.

  'True, even with the Librarian accompanying you, those OUTSIDERs always have sneaky and nasty tricks up their sleeves.' Deed nodded while thinking that at my level I could die easily as well.

  Suddenly, heavy footsteps could be heard running through here.

  "Erica!!!" It was the muscular Duke Joseph, wearing his full armor as if ready to go to war, hearing his daughter's closest aides were OUTSIDERs.

  "Phew, you're okay..." He took a breath of relief seeing Erica was fine.

  However, he realized that the doll his daughter was currently playing with wasn't a normal or regular doll, which made him uneasy.

  However, before he even said anything about it, the head butler already brought him out to talk about the situation.

  "Can I have the doll, young lady." I said toward Erica. "Please talk with them that I didn't want to take credit for this incident."

  "Oh, okay." She gave the doll to me. "Fine... I'll talk to my dad about it... but are you sure?" Erica seemed dejected, but she still went anyway.

  Well, I actually sent her away for other things.

  "So, Aasiah... can you do something about being detected by both the head butler and even the duke?" I said towards Aasiah, knowing that this could attract unwanted attention.

  Aasiah seemed embarrassed. "I can hide my power level completely... but that'll mean I can't keep the barrier to protect you all the time."

  "It's fine, you don't need to protect me all the time. 'I' can protect myself." I said, because I do have my other selves protecting me.

  Aasiah seemed dejected as it would make her seem useless.

  "However, I do have a request for you. Can you teach me SoulCraft? I don't think I'd find another teacher that'll be better than you. As you can see, I'm currently unawakened." I said.

  Aasiah's mini doll eyes seemed to be sparkling at my request. "I would love that!" She said with enthusiasm.

  [It seems that the honorable one's real power is being sealed. I think the honorable one is slowly trying to reawaken his power. Aasiah thought to herself.]

  'So umm... I wonder why this powerful Librarian suddenly decides to follow me in the first place?' I asked my other selves.

  'Maybe she just likes you.' Zeronoz teased.

  'Eh? Am I that charming.' I asked seriously.

  'Of course! There's no part of us that isn't charming. Keh hahahaha.' Zeronoz said sarcastically. 'Why don't you just ask her yourself?'

  'As usual...' Deed said.

  "I guess I can call you Teacher Aasiah now." I said to lighten up my next question.

  "Eh no, honorable one, just call me as you did previously." She said politely.

  "I'll be in your care, Teacher Aasiah." I said to insist I'll call her teacher. "By the way, why did you decide to follow me? Was that also the Library's will?"

  I asked her directly to change the topic.

  [Why? Hmm, good question. Why did I, the Sloth, suddenly want to follow the honorable one? Is it because he was able to push me back when I was trying to read his power level? Or is it because he rejected all rewards for being chosen by the Library? Aasiah thought deeply about it, and she couldn't help but feel as if something was mysteriously pulling her towards Null.]

  "Curiosity." Aasiah said.

  'Keh hahahaha! Not bad Null, you really are a playboy.' Zeronoz teased. 'Women only say that if they are interested in you.'

  'I don't think it's that simple...' I said as I connected something. 'Did you do anything to her, ROH?' I said towards the mysterious sovereign.

  'Huh?' ROH was dumbfounded himself. 'I just pushed her away from reading and assessing us.'

  "Perhaps it's also the Library that pushes me towards that decision." Aasiah continued.

  'No need to think much about that, Null.' Zeroze said.

  To be honest, I'm just worried that having her by my side will increase my chances of dying...

  'Strong people will attract strong people...' ROH muttered.