The moment Garen saw Talia, he dropped to his knees.

His knees hit the dirt with a heavy thud, his head bowed low and his forehead was nearly touched the ground. His hands pressed flat against the earth in front of him.

"Please, my Lady," he said, his voice trembling. "Punish that evil doer... That evil doer, Jack is a scourge on the universe.

He ruined my life, killed my sister and crippled me."

"And I am not the only... The number of people he has wronged can line up from here to the town and those are just the ones I can fins... I have waited years for this moment. Please... I beg you."

"Please don’t give him an easy death... Please... Please... Don’t let him die easy." Garden begged profusely knocking his head on the ground.

Talia stared at him with a weird look with her eyebrows lifted slightly and her lips pressed together.

She had seen many things in her life.

Mercenaries begging for mercy... Criminals begging for their lives, but she had never seen a man beg so passionately for another man to be tortured.

She did not stop him.

"Stand up," she said quietly.

Garen did not move. His body stayed bent. His forehead stayed low.

"Stand up," she repeated. "I cannot hear you properly with your face in the dirt."

Garen slowly lifted his head, his eyes were red from crying.

Crying that came from years of holding back tears that had finally found their way out.

’And maybe banging his head on the ground,’ Sorah considered.

He rose to his feet but kept his head bowed.

"I am sorry, my Lady," he said. "I have waited so long for this... I did not mean to be disrespectful."

Talia waved her hand. "Show me what you have."

Garen reached into his jacket and his fingers fumbled around for a moment then he pulled out a small recording device that was no bigger than his palm.

The surface was scratched and the edges were worn.

"This was recording of Jack when he betrayed your trust and told us about this place," Garen said.

As proof he pressed a button, the device flickered before a small screen lit up and a grainy footage appeared.

Jack’s face filled the screen and the recording began from a few moments after Jack entered the bar.

His mouth was moving but the audio could barely catch it at first but one he came closer he was several times clearer.

Talia watched for a few seconds then she nodded.

While she already had plans to prosecute Jack and even kill, she would have to do that silently since he still had a contract with her... But with this audio, his death would be a very painful and public one.

She nodded towards Sorah who collected the audio recorder and held it.

Garen let out a breath of relief and his shoulders relaxed slightly when she accepted it.

’Finally... Hahahahah... Finally.’ He laughed to himself.

At the same time Talia studied him. While he was dressed roughly from the equipment with him it was easy to tell that he jad awakened the Elemental Path to the Earth Branch.

"What do you want as a reward?" she finally asked.

Garen looked up at her. His mouth opened then closed. Then opened again.

"I want nothing for myself," he said finally. "Just punish him... Make him suffer... Please ma, make him feel even a fraction of the pain he has caused others. That is all I ask."

Talia tilted her head. "That is it? No money?"

This was a first for her.

Garen shook his head. "Money does not bring back my sister."

He paused. His jaw tightened.

"But..." He hesitated. "If you would have me, I would serve your family as a slave with no wages. Just a chance to pay you for punishing that bastard."

Talia raised an eyebrow. "A slave?"

"Yes, my Lady." Garen’s voice was steady. "I have nothing left. No family. No future. Just this." He touched his chest. "And you jave given me a big gift by punishing him."

Talia was quiet for a long moment.

She thought about his words. A man who had lost everything. A man who had spent years chasing what he most likely hoped was justice but in fact revenge...

A man who was now offering his entire life in exchange for watching one evil man suffer.

That was not desperation. That was devotion.

Devotion to seeing your enemy suffer.

"Look at me," she said.

Garen lifted his head and his eyes met hers.

"I was already going to punish Jack," Talia said. "His fate was sealed the moment he broke his contract and tried to destroy this camp so you do not need to offer yourself as a slave for that."

Garen’s face fell slightly.

"But," Talia continued, "I can see that you are serious so I will accept your service. Not as a slave but as a outer member."

Garen blinked. "But... I offered myself as a slave. I have nothing to give."

"You have loyalty," Talia said. "That is worth more than money, as for the rest... We will take care of it."

She turned to Sorah, who had been standing quietly to the side.

"Take him to get something to eat," Talia said. "Then find him a tent. He will be staying."

Saron nodded. "Yes, my Lady."

Garen bowed deeply. His forehead nearly touched his knees.

"Thank you, my Lady," he said. His voice cracked. "Thank you."

Once Talia accepted his allegiance, Garen nodded excitedly.

His eyes lit up and his face broke into a wide grin.

Then he froze as he fell into deep thoughts for a few seconds then he did another weird thing.

He asked her for one hundred low-grade mana stones.

Talia blinked obviously caught of guard by his request.

She had just accepted him as a soldier, not a slave but now he was asking for a hundred stones... Upfront.

She was confused and her ffurowed eyebrows and pressed lips showed just that.

But she did not ask him anything.

She had learned to trust her instincts. And her instincts told her that Garen was not a greedy man.

He had just offered himself as a slave minutes ago and he had refused money as a reward.

A man like that did not suddenly ask for a hundred stones for no reason.

So she reached into her spatial ring and pulled out a small bag.

She counted out one hundred low-grade mana stones and dropped them inside then she handed it to him.

Garen took the bag. His fingers wrapped around the cloth and he nodded at her once. A sharp, grateful nod.

Then he turned and took off.

He did not run toward the exit nor did he run toward the tents.

No... He ran toward the pit.

***

Jack’s head still stuck out from the ground with his eyes were swollen and his lips were cracked.

Like always his face was caked with dried mud and he looked like a man who had already died but forgot to stop breathing.

Garen stopped right beside him.

He crouched down until his knees almost popped.

He balanced on the balls of his feet and stared at Jack’s face.

Yes, he was right back here to gloat.

Why not?

"Well, well, well," Garen said. His voice was light... Almost cheerful. "Look at you now."

Jack’s eyes fluttered open and he tried to focus but his vision was blurry and his mind was foggy.

"Garen..." Jack croaked. His voice was barely a whisper. "What... what are you doing?"

Garen smiled. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small bag of mana stones. He held it up in front of Jack’s face. He shook it gently. The stones rattled inside.

"Remember when you took everything from me?" Garen asked. "Remember when you left me with nothing? No way to survive?"

"What did you say that day?" Garden asked.

Jack’s eyes moved from the bag to Garen’s face but he said nothing.

"Wait... Wait, I remember... Only the best of us survive."

"Looks like you are no longer the best. Hahahahaha." Garden laughed.

"Now I have something you will never have again," Garen continued. "A future."

He stood up and tucked the bag back into his jacket.

"And you?" Garen looked down at Jack. "You have dirt in your mouth and your body is half buried... You have nothing.... You are nothing."

He turned to walk away, then he stopped and looked back over his shoulder. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"Oh, and Jack?" Garen smiled. "Enjoy the sun... I have a feeling that it is going to be a hot day."

He walked away, his steps were light and it even seemed like he was bouncing with joy.

Behind him, Jack’s head slumped forward and his chin touched the dirt.

He was starting to feel it.

(A.N.: Sorry guys for the late and little update... I could barely write this... I was f*cking robbed in London, they carried a washing machine from my car and those mother fuckers did it in less than the 15mins I was gone... I was on call with the police’s for the last few hours and I could barely focus on writing.

Now I owe 2 Chapters... Don’t worry, I have no plans of dropping this novel anytime soon.)