Children ran past me as the sun glittered off small mounds of snow piled up along the walls. Some of which had been piled higher than others so that the stall owner could hawk their wares to those walking up and down the streets.

  All of this vanished between one blink and the next. Stalls full of merchandise and goods disappeared. In their pce stood a pile of scrap wood and fabric. Dirt and mud covered both to the point that it was hard to tell where the scraps started and the mound of trash and feces next to it began.

  The smell of everything hit me just as I looked at the slow and stumbling people wandering the streets. I scrunched my nose against the acrid smell as I tried to get the closest person's attention. They ignored me as they continued on with vacant eyes. It was as though they were no longer all there. No longer seeing what had become of their city.

  A mixture of questions circled in my mind. The city had been vibrant and full of life when I left. So how had this happened? Was it somehow my fault? Or was it something else? Could this be why the demon was able to keep control even after everything had happened? Or was this what happened when there were no adventurers to drive a city's economy?

  Maybe that was where I needed to go first. If there were no adventurers and the city had taken over the building, it would make sense that someone was using the pce. Likely as not, it was likely where I would find the majority of those I would likely have to fight. Hell, if I was lucky I might catch a shift change for those on patrol.

  As I made my way down the road toward my destination, I quickly noticed the amount of attention focused on me. Almost as though the people who were wandering the streets had taken notice of me and thought that I was some newbie that they could rob. So I kept to the center of the street. It wasn’t that I was afraid of people doing something or jumping out, but that I didn’t want to get caught up in something and pulled in by the guards for questioning.

  Judging by the way the hairs on the back of my neck stiffened up as I passed a few of the darker alleys, I had been right to worry. Oddly enough, the number of people aimlessly wandering around dropped off the closer I got to the former guild hall.

  Then, as if I had crossed some line in the city, everything around me changed. The people who milled about looked to be on their way somewhere. Still, some of them stopped at the rare stall to buy something or to simply talk.

  Then there were the guards. They wove their way around the scattering of people as their eyes scanned everything. I froze in pce as one looked in my direction. He looked directly at me for a moment before scanning behind me. Whatever he saw seemed to be of no consequence as he said nothing. He simply continued walking. Taking his dismissal as permission, I resumed walking.

  While the pce looked better taken care of and much more poputed, there was still an underlying tension. As if whatever was keeping the pce alive was fragile and everyone knew it. Like they were all living their lives while waiting for some other shoe to drop.

  As suddenly as the first line had been, I passed through yet another invisible line in the city. This one separated the crowds of civilians from the guards and the former guild hall. The small fields to either side of the hall were filled with civilians being trained by one soldier or another. Given the resigned looks on the civilian's faces, I doubted it was voluntary.

  “You!” A voice I had hoped to never hear again yelled at me. My head swiveled to look up at Michael. He looked haggard. As if the little time between my escape and now had worn him down. It probably didn’t help that he was now decked out in full pte armor. It couldn’t be all that light given how heavy metal was in general. “I need a sparring partner.” If not for the fact that he was staring directly into my eyes, I would have thought that he was talking to one of the guards nearby.

  His demand had me fighting with myself. Part of me wanted to take him up on his offer. To fight him. To torture him for as long as I could before finally killing the asshole. Unfortunately, this would probably be the worst thing I could do. Not only would it mean killing someone close to the demons, but I had no doubt that he would recognize my Chisa Katana, thus ruining what little anonymity I currently had.

  Another part of me wanted to just ignore him. To walk away. Yeah, that would just piss the fucker off. I had no doubt that he would just attack me anyway. Likely resulted in me having to do something or risk dying – again.

  I smiled as I realized that there was a middle ground. Something that would cause him to decide that I wasn’t worth the fight and let me go without much trouble. I forced myself to give him a light bow as I spoke. “Judging by your armor you focus on direct attacks. A frontliner as it were. I am more of a mage and rear-line fighter. I would not be a good match for you.”

  Neither of us spoke for a good minute. Finally, he broke the silence with a sigh. “You are right. While it would be good for mages to gain some experience fighting against a front liner in case they are left with no choice, I don’t have time to train someone else. So,” crap, he was going to suggest something else that was just as bad, wasn’t he. “I think…”

  “MICHAEL!” Linda’s voice cut him off. “Get your ass back in here!” Judging by his expression, he really did not want to listen to her. But, while his eyes and face said one thing, his body followed her orders as it stiffly turned him around and marched him back into the building. For a second I debated following the asshole, but it would have presented more of a risk than I wanted to take, at least for now.

  After scanning over everything, I debated turning around or heading down an alley. That was until my eyes caught sight of a few officials walking past one of the buildings. Which was curious. Sure, they could have been inside one of the buildings on that side, but that didn’t feel right.

  As I stepped around the corner of the building, I found that a number of houses had been destroyed. Leveled and cleared to make a new road. One that seemed to go from here to the noble district.

  Its presence was both a blessing and a curse for any of our pns. If we were to head to the gate I had destroyed the first time, we could use it. But so could all the guards that were chasing us. Reinforcements would have an easier time getting where they needed to go. To be honest, the pn was looking worse and worse the longer that I thought about it. Hell, that section of the wall was probably the most patrolled simply because it was the least intact part.

  It would almost be easier to find the nearest section of the wall and blow it up. Actually, why couldn’t we do that? I get that the wall is fairly strong, but surely, given enough time, I could do some serious damage. I mean, I managed to blow the gate up the first time. Sure I didn’t have the massive boost from the SoulStone, but I had a few other things going on for me now.

  All of my stats were over one hundred. How much of a boost that gave me, I had no clue, but I also now had a second tail. Given that a Kitsune’s power could be measured based on how many tails they had, I had to be at least a little stronger now than before. Actually, now that I thought about it, wasn't there one more asterisk on that page?

  Race:

  Kitsune*

  Variant:

  Demonic

  God:

  Inari*

  Tier:

  2*

  Power Category

  Fire

  Power Tier:

  1

  Race Skills:

  None*

  Race Points:

  10/5*

  Mated:

  No*

  Okay, so there were three more asterisks. I had an idea of what the mated page said and honestly didn’t care. That wolf could die for all I cared. As for the Race Skills and Race Points, they led to the same page and the odd selection page contained within.

  It reminded me of a clump of intertwined trees. Most of which was grayed out and illegible, all except the first row. The row that made up the base of the eight trees. While I kept an eye on where I was going and the people around me, I started to go over everything on this new page. As I gnced over each, reading what they were, it expanded to dispy a more thorough description.

  Celestial – A leader who embodies wisdom, cunning, and strength. Commanding many to accomplish a goal. As a primary tree, this will provide you with the skills to command the battlefield. Allowing you to see and communicate with your people as needed. As a secondary, it will provide various bonuses and skills toward leadership.

  Primary stat: Charisma

  Secondary stat: Wisdom

  So it was a leadership role. Sort of like a general. While it seemed like it would be useful, it just didn’t feel right.

  Moon Sage – The one who collects, records, and maintains the lore of the nd. Searching out stories and learning from history so that they can provide wisdom to those who ask. As a primary tree, this would provide you with the ability to discover stories lost to time. To learn the secrets long forgotten. As a secondary, it will provide nudges and insight that others might have missed.

  Primary stat: Wisdom

  Secondary stat: Intelligence

  Yeah, I wasn’t a treasure hunter. Next.

  Silver Tongue – The diplomatic envoy whose persuasive eloquence and quick thinking transform foes into allies. Preferring to use one's word rather than a sword to turn the tide. As a primary tree, this would make one's arguments clear and more convincing. As a secondary, it would make you more persuasive.

  Primary stat: Charisma

  Secondary stat: Intelligence

  Hah. Found the bard. God, I hoped that there was at least one of these things that fit me because so far, each option sucked.

  Furguard – The stalwart protector of the cn. With fur as resilient as any armor, these protectors specialize in defense. Absorbing enemy blows so that their allies do not have to. As a primary tree, this will make one into a neigh unmovable wall. As a secondary, it offers various ways to increase your defense so that you might outst any opponent you come across.

  Primary stat: Vitality

  Secondary stat: Strength

  Closer, but still not quite right. I took a second to get a good look at the guards standing near the gate. From what I could tell, there were around twenty people standing on or around the gate and, oddly enough, they were more focused on those inside the walls than the things outside.

  Eyes down, I forced myself to continue as I used a trick that worked for me quite a few times…don’t ask. Head down, I walked with purpose. Acting as though I had somewhere I needed to be and that I was where I was supposed to be. While a few of the guards looked in my direction, they ignored me.

  Soon enough, I continued to walk as I skimmed my hand across the wall. Tendrils of my mana dug through the wall, looking for a weak point that I could exploit as I resumed reading.

  Moonshadow – The elusive scout and assassin, moving with the silent grace of a fox during the new moon. Use the shadows to get in and out before an enemy can react. As a primary tree, this would allow one to become one with the shadows. As a secondary, you will find it easier to sneak around.

  Primary stat: Agility

  Secondary stat: Dexterity

  That was one option. Maybe not what I would pick first but given how each kept talking about there being an effect as a secondary, I might be able to choose it as a subcategory.

  FoxFire – The one whose job it is to damage and even kill those who threaten the community. They wield magic that blurs the lines between creation and chaos. Life and death. Creating illusions as easily as deadly effects. Each of which can dazzle just as easily as it can kill. Igniting the battlefield with elemental fury. As a primary tree, this would allow one to deal massive damage with your chosen element. Opening various options that you might otherwise not have. As a secondary, it will provide a boost to your element.

  Primary stat: Intelligence

  Secondary stat: Wisdom

  Element: Fire

  Okay, unless there was some other massive damage-dealing tree, this was my first choice. And given the stories that I had heard about the other Kitsune, I wasn’t the only one to make that choice.

  Emberheart – The nurturing healer whose warm touch mends both body and soul. Like a glowing ember in the night, an Emberheart both restores vitality and nurtures hope, ensuring that allies never lose the will to fight for what they believe in. As a primary tree, this would allow you to heal others with great efficiency and, given time and experience, possibly revive someone from death without the assistance of the system. As a secondary, it will grant access to a few minor healing spells.

  Primary stat: Wisdom

  Secondary stat: Dexterity

  While I liked the fact that it would allow me to bring people back from the dead, I was never going to choose it as a primary. It just wasn’t me. Now, for a secondary option, I was a bit conflicted. On one hand, I needed more healing spells. On the other, I needed better ways to sneak around. Especially if I was going to end up on the front lines with those of higher levels.

  Silver Quill – The artisan that supports every other branch. Creating artifacts and equipment that both save lives and takes them. As a primary tree, this would allow you to create enchantments and artifacts using spells and techniques known and closely guarded by the Kitsune. Anyone would be able to use this equipment, allowing you to equip anyone you want. As a secondary, you would be able to learn those same spells and techniques. The only limit is that you are the only one able to use your creations. Even if you taught someone else.

  Primary stat: Dexterity

  Secondary stat: Intelligence

  Sure, that sounded great, but I could already feel the pain in my back as I imagined myself leaning over a piece of metal. It wasn’t for me.

  Of course, I didn’t have to decide now. While I would need as much help as I could get when we made our move, I had a bit of time. Which was good, because my mana found a weak point. Sure, the timing might seem a bit suspicious but I had slowed my pace down to a slow stroll as soon as the guards were out of sight. It wasn’t like I was in a rush and I didn’t want to miss anything.