“You! What did you do?!” Beatrice screamed as she stood over Ayaka and threatened to swing the rake down at her.

  She only threatened, since Ayaka was defenseless and lying on the ground.

  “Bia, leave her alone. I’m the one who jumped in front of her.” I yanked the rapier from my chest with a wet suction sound. Beatrice stepped toward me, but I warded her back. “Stay back. I’m infectious. And she might be as well. So stay away from us for now, please, just to be safe.”

  Beatrice grabbed at her hair. “Infectious! Little Josephine! Why?! And you’re bleeding!”

  “It’s alright. I won’t get sick. And this isn’t that bad. I’ve had worse.”

  It was best not to mention that my last injury this severe was from Ayaka’s father.

  “Now, why are you here?”

  “I ran into a little girl at the inn asking for hot water for the Flower Saint. I knew that had to be you. So I ran here as fast as I could.” Her jaw clenched. “Then I saw this good for nothing ruffian attack you.”

  I grabbed at my wound to staunch the bleeding. “What happened to the little girl?”

  “I’m here Lady Blue Flower!” Lottie’s squeaky voice shouted as she ran toward me, carrying a basket of fruits and pies.

  I gestured for her to stop before she got too close.

  Another short figure appeared out of the darkness behind her, lugging a bucket in one scrawny arm. Her face I recognized: she had sold me skewers often enough now.

  “We meet again, young Lady.” Wyla’s raspy voice called out as she stepped toward me.

  She kept moving toward me when I tried to ward her back.

  “Don’t worry, that disease is only contagious by inhaling the breath of the infected.” The wrinkles on her wizened face deepened as she studied my features. “And you don’t seem to have symptoms. You don’t seem flushed or have any pox.”

  “I’m not infected,” I said firmly.

  She fished a roll of white bandages from her satchel.

  I pulled down the front of my dress, revealing the puncture wound that the rapier had made.

  “Are you a healer?” I asked, growing curious when she took a wet towel to clean my wound. She seemed to know what she was doing.

  “A herbalist for this humble town, but I do dabble in healing magic.” She glanced toward the dark, decrepit building and sighed. “Alas, not enough to save them. And I tried… if you did save Carol…” Her lips trembled as she was overcome with emotion.

  “I did. Let me bring her out after this.”

  Old Wyla's wrinkle-laden eyes moistened. "Then you have my most sincere thanks. I don't even know how we can repay this debt."

  She started wrapping the bandage around my chest. Beatrice was allowed to come closer, and she held my hand, watching Wyla work in silence.

  Lottie, however, was yelling at Ayaka, even kicking her. “How dare you attack Lady Flower when she’s saving my mother!”

  Ayaka just sat there, not retaliating, hugging her knees against her chest.

  None of them seemed to be a danger to each other.

  I turned to Wyla, who was hovering a hand over my wound. A sharp medicinal smell emanated from the cloth bandage. “That’s good enough, it doesn’t seem to be bleeding anymore.”

  “Nonesense, child. You have a deep puncture, and high likelihood of a lacerated lung. I will not have you bleeding internally, or be heavily scarred under my care.”

  I checked my status screen, and it was actually a substantial wound…

  If I didn’t have my bracelet, the wound would have left me near death.

  It made me wonder what would happen if I did hit zero Hp, both Murion the lich and Long Aotian had implied I can’t be killed normally.

  My bones do seem indestructible. Would I just hang around in a zombie state while my flesh grows back?

  In either case, my Hp wasn’t dropping, so I was stable for now.

  “Thank you, Wyla. You are skilled, but there isn’t bleeding inside. And I don’t scar.”

  Wyla’s head shot up. “You don’t scar? How is that possible?”

  “It’s true. My Lady has been through some grievous injuries, and yet, she’s still the picture of perfection. Well…” Beatrice caught herself and glanced at the scar on my left cheek. “Except for that cursed wound…”

  “Enough. Give me the food. I don’t want to leave Lottie’s mother by herself for too long.”

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  —

  Out of an abundance of caution, we decided Lottie would be kept away from her mother while we cleaned her up.

  Initially, the two of them had to settle for exchanging emotional words at a distance.

  Carol, Lottie’s mom could barely walk when I got her out of the bed, so I had to shoulder her out of the house. Beatrice had a sour look on her face at the sight of us, but she had already agreed to adhere to the protocol that Wyla had laid out, so she held herself back from rushing toward me.

  Wyla, with cloth covering her lower face, helped me set Carol on a log. We took off her old clothes, cleaned her with a wet towel, and then draped a new, fresh robe over her.

  Finally, after Wyla had given Carol one last look over, mother and daughter could reunite with tears in their eyes.

  We gave them space for just the two of them to share.

  I caught Ayaka staring enviously at the pair, sitting together under the moonlight.

  “What are you going to do now?” I asked as Beatrice helped me into the new dress she had retrieved while we were cleaning up Carol. It was a simple light-blue dress that billowed enough to cover up the bulge from the wrap around my chest.

  It’d be bad if the prince caught me with another injury after I promised I wouldn’t get hurt.

  “I have nowhere to go, though I doubt anyone here wants me around. Especially after this…” Ayaka sighed, still gazing at the pair embracing one another. The sound of sobs and cries of ‘Mom!’ and ‘My little girl!’ drifted over to us.

  “You still want revenge?”

  From the side, Ayaka looked like a cat, especially with the wild, chopped-up hair, tufts of which stuck up in the air. It made me ache for my little tiger back home. I hoped he or she was alright.

  Beatrice must’ve caught the glint in my eyes. “No, Jo, don’t do it!” she hissed at me.

  Little cat Ayaka was still staring away from us. “I am under no delusion as to the role my father played. And seeing the way you are, I have no doubt that you were justified in defending yourself.” She balled a fist over her chest. “I just can’t let it go.”

  “That sounds familiar.” I slipped away from Beatrice’s grasp and stepped up beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You’re hungry, aren’t you? Why not come serve me? You’ll have food and a place to stay.”

  Beatrice shook her head vigorously at me, but it was Ayaka who spoke up. “Are you insane? I just tried to kill you!”

  I leaned over her. “I’d like you to teach me that disappearing skill you used on me, and any other tricks you might have.”

  “You can’t… you aren’t the same class. The way of ninjutsu isn’t meant for those outside of the Clan.”

  “Just try. I already know of one other who seemed to have learned it. Besides, you already said you can’t go back. And you owe me for saving your life twice.”

  “Twice?”

  “I saved you from the Consort last time. And this time, if you were to so much as graze Beatrice, you would’ve been dead.”

  She gaped at me, a mixture of shock and apprehension in her eyes.

  “So you owe me two favors. First, you will teach me the secrets of your old Clan. You can no longer go back, yes?”

  Ayaka was slouched forward over her knees. She gave a slow nod.

  “Then there should be nothing holding you back.”

  When Ayaka kept her head lowered, Beatrice stormed up to her. “Consider yourself fortunate that you’re even offered this, harlot. Only the privileged few are chosen to serve My Lady. You must realize by now how special she is.”

  Privileged few? I was pretty sure I was just given the youngest, most inexperienced maids when they were assigned to me. But I didn’t want to spoil Beatrice’s bravado.

  Her words seemed to have an effect on Ayaka. She raised her head, gazing up at me. Her expression was unreadable, and I tasted nothing but a tinge of sweetness over her soul. The bitterness had evaporated.

  “Would I have other duties?” she asked hesitantly.

  “How old are you?” Beatrice said, her arms folded across her chest.

  “I am fourteen.”

  “I suppose you are young enough to be trained for maid duty.” Beatrice narrowed her fierce eyes. “It won’t be an easy life. And you’ll have to give an oath of fealty to My Lady, and her House.”

  “I've endured training before and do not mind hardship. Fealty, I can give, as long as it’s to her first.” Her dark eyes flared as she set them upon me.

  “You should always refer to her as My Lady.” Beatrice reprimanded her.

  Ayaka dipped her head in response.

  When did she become so fixated on me all of a sudden? I guess she was before, but for revenge. Could one really flip between extremes this quickly?

  “Beatrice, go easy on her maid training. She has a combat class and seems to be a quick study. I would like her as a training partner. It’s better than the knights, wouldn’t you say?”

  “I can do both!” Ayaka insisted.

  I still wasn’t quite sure what to make of her abrupt about-face. But I didn’t care if it was hate or love; she had potential. All she needed was to keep up that intense drive to improve.

  “Alright, as long as you keep up with me. I’m counting on you to surpass me someday.”

  “Why?”

  I knelt down over her and whispered into her ear. “So that you can earn your revenge.”

  She shook her head at me. “I don’t understand. Why? What if I don’t desire it anymore?”

  I winked at her again. “Then it’d be the second favor you owe me.”

  It’s always good to have contingencies.

  She stared at me. Her forehead wrinkled as if she was trying to piece together the puzzle that was me.

  Then she bowed her head low to the ground.

  “I will do whatever it is you wish, My Lady.”

  —

  None of the girls were happy with what had occurred when I got back to the inn. They all gave Ayaka dark glares, but in the end, they respected my decision. She was cleaned up and shoved into a spare uniform by breakfast the next morning, and we were on our way.

  I stepped through the half-ajar, heavy, iron-banded double doors of the Adventurer’s Guild. There wasn’t much traffic going in and out, which made sense given that everyone was now probably busy at the dungeon.

  Despite it being bright outside, the cavernous Guild Hall was strangely dark, and a hushed silence hung in the air.

  I hadn’t expected there to be trouble, and so no [Shadow Fingers] were out. Behind me, the grizzled guard captain stiffened, and Ayaka, in her ill-fitting maid uniform, reached under her front apron.

  I waved for everyone to calm down. There was no hostility present.

  A wave of magic surged upwards, and the everbright torches lining the walls flared all at once, illuminating the vaulted ceiling and the line of mounted armor facing off against the row of game trophies.

  Tomas clung tight to my arm, the sudden motion tearing at my wrapped wound. He was tense, but his eyes were staring in wonder at the lit animal heads above.

  Adventurers of all shapes and sizes stepped out of the shadows, holding a giant, makeshift cloth sign.

  “Welcome back, Joan!” The deafening clamor of their shouts echoed through the hall.

  Mugs were thrust upwards. Foaming ale sloshed, splattering the stone floor. Swords clanged against each other, vibrating right against my bruised ribs.

  Maybe I shouldn’t have written ahead.

  An Administrator has fallen. A Chimera has risen. The System has begun its Ultimatum.

  KiAera clawed her way from prey to Sovereign, forging the first monster sanctuary in a brutal monster-ruled world.

  Music, games, food, and comforts? Her monster lords are baffled by human cultures and have never imagined them, yet KiAera wields them to usher a new era for monsterkind.

  But a sanctuary alone will not suffice. The Sovereigns stir, reality-bending Overlords have taken notice, and whispers of a long-dormant System Ultimatum hint that the world itself is counting on her… and judging her choices.

  To protect her people and uncover the truth behind her improbable survival, KiAera must lead and challenge everything even she thought she knew about power.

  Human → Chimera Sovereign MMORPG System World Evolution & Monster Fusion Monster Sovereign Politics Kingdom-Building & Defense Ful-Ruin Network Mystery A Thousand+ Chimera Forms

  ?? Frequent Hand-Drawn Character Artwork

  Illustrations of major characters, Chimera evolutions, Sovereigns, and Sanctum leaders released alongside major arcs.

  ? READER SIGNAL ARCHIVE ?

  @CrystalOverlord: This escalated from neat monster LitRPG to sovereign-tier epic absurdly fast.

  @SanctumStrategist: Monster lords as subordinates? Side characters that actually matter? I inhaled 40k words in one sitting.

  @UltimatumWitness: This feels like someone smuggled a published series onto Royal Road.

  ? 100,000+ Words in Draft ? Guaranteed Updates