The sudden coldness of the room, the strange pressure added with the eerie smirk stretching across that boy's face, made the brawny leader question himself for a moment.

However, a few seconds later as he scrutinized the boy, he shook his head, almost laughing at himself for his stupidity. How could such a weak-looking youngling, who isn't even a man yet threaten him?

Even if he were to be a talented spellcaster, which he highly doubted as they were as rare as White Diamond Snakes in this god-forsaken land… What danger was he facing? What could this scrawny piece of garbage even do?!

'No.' Master Balun shook his head, his crooked smile curving towards higher altitudes, his eyes squinted into nasty-looking slits as he gazed at Aiden once again.

"Hmpf!" He snorted. "Come then, and face your punishment. We don't want to cause trouble inside after all. It would be a hassle to deal with the city guards."

Aiden nodded at the leader's command, and with his usual nonchalant, indifferent, cool smile he walked towards the back door.

A step later, he raised his arm, waving it and motioning for Lily and the dogs to follow.

"Come Sis, let's enjoy this free training session! As Granny taught us, 'Never turn down a free gift! It's rude and disrespectful for the other side!'" He spoke, mimicking Granny's voice, earning a light chuckle from the girl, not bothered by the deep dark look the leader was gazing at him.

"Hehe, you are right brother, we should enjoy the gift!" Lily chuckled at his brother's words, looking strangely, eerily calm, and cheerful despite the grave situation. Luckily, Martha, the innkeeper's wife was already knocked out and was lying unconscious on the kitchen floor, otherwise, she might have had suffered a meltdown.

After all, after causing such trouble, her efforts to correct them were ultimately pointless.

The old man, the innkeeper, on the other hand, couldn't even process what was happening any more. His mind was focused on the current state of his wife, though he dared not dare to rush toward her body, afraid to offend this local tyrant.

Lily skipped over to his brother's side, with a cheery smile, looking as if they were going to gather some plants in the forest and not face a large group of ruffians. Sam and Biggy, were following behind them, with their usual bored look. They weren't alerted by the least. Their alpha was right in front of them after all, what was there to worry about?

Just as he stepped over the doorway and left the building, only to enter a dark, dimly lit back alley, Aiden's group was met with a rather large crowd of rough-looking men. Just from a quick scan, Aiden counted at least two dozen with a couple more standing guard at the exits.

At the same time, he heard the light voice of his contracted sword-girl, Ryg reach out through their shared connection.

'Master, I can sense several hostile intents close by. Would Master need to wield my strength? Shall I go over?'

However, before Aiden could thank her concern and deny the request, Enya already responded.

'[There is no need for that Ryg. Don't worry. Aiden would prefer if you would watch over the girl instead. Right, Aiden?]'

'Y-yes. No need to bother with something so small as this. They are merely here to assist us in some evening exercise.' Aiden sent a mental note to both of them, before closing the connection and turning towards Lily.

"Sis, you should use this chance to work on your teamwork with Sam and Biggy. I will step back and let you play."

His cool smile made Lily blush. She nodded her head silently, stepping forward to the center of the makeshift circle the thugs lined around them.

Standing at the other side, the leader, Master Balun could no longer hide the ugly, angry look on his face. He looked behind the girl, throwing a jab and taunting the boy.

"Are you really this pathetic that you have to hide behind a girl? No wonder you are looking like a wuss!" He snorted, shifting his attention to the blonde beauty getting ready to face her. As he looked at her and the two large hounds at her sides, he calmed his expression and forced yet another smile.

"Little lass, don't be blinded by such a weakling. Just come over to my side, there is no need for violence! It wouldn't do good if your heavenly beauty would be ruined by some unnecessary wounds and bruises!"

Seeing that the girl did not react but was merely returning his smile with one that made it even harder to contain the growing hunger and lust hidden in his pants, he took a small step forward and reached out invitingly with his right arm towards the girl.

"Come to me, my beautiful lady and become my woman! I promise to make you a mistress, the queen of my men, and soon this whole city! Be wise and leave this pathetic weakling behind!" He bolstered with big words, huge promises, his crooked smile stretched as wide and as honest-looking as it could possibly be.

He was pretty confident in his words, already thinking about the mocking tone he would hit with the young black-haired boy as soon as he got the girl. Master Balun could already see in his mind as the boy's face turned ashen as he lost his girl and was subjected to the harsh reality. He could see as he turned scared, and meek, groveling, begging on the ground, to be spared.

He was already thinking of only breaking his legs to teach him a lesson, as he would grope this tasty meat right in front of his stupid gold-colored eyes.

Unfortunately, dreams rarely become anything more than delusions of the mind. Instead of the expected acceptance, the little girl's mouth twitched, turning into a contemptuous scowl. A deep frown creased some wrinkles over her milky white forehead, she spoke with a coldness. There was no trace of her previous cheery attitude as she looked at him, the leader of this area.

"How dare you speak like that?!" She erupted. "My brother is the strongest there is! You call him a weakling? You, who cowered as soon as he glanced at you with just a sliver of his power?" She coldly laughed, before going even further. "I would NEVER leave his side, especially not for an ugly man like you!"

Before he and his thugs could process her brutally harsh words, she raised her delicate right hand and pointed at him, before exclaiming an order.

"Let's not waste any more time guys! Sam, Biggy, let's beat some sense into this stupid man!"

The two large black hounds, that were standing bored, turned into vicious, ferocious monsters in the next instant and charged at the shocked large, bronze-skinned man with deep growls.

They were like two dark blurry streaks as they crossed the small distance in a second, lounging at the man with obvious killing intent flashing in their dark bead-like eyes.

"You dare!"

Albeit shocked, Master Balun was quite experienced, serving for countless years as a mercenary. He quickly snapped out of his daze, grabbed the strange chain-like weapon wrapped across his torso, and swung his arm horizontally.

With loud metallic, clinking sounds, the chain followed his arc, trailing behind his arm. The spiky metal balls flew towards the approaching beast's head with a threatening speed.

Whilst his weapon was about to crash into the closest dog's body, his huge left palm flew towards the other war hound, his hand was already poised into an open grip, ready to grab the beast's neck.

Meanwhile, Lily also wasn't going to stand behind, she also bolted towards the open, left side of the man, throwing a punch at him whilst he was busy handling the canines.

Aiden watched the scene with a calm smile. He could clearly see everything, as despite everything was happening at the same time, and in a single moment, to him, it was as if time had slowed down. He wasn't worried for either of them nor about the leader's going down with just this one round of attacks. He crossed his arms over his chest and watched with his usual calm attitude as the fight continued.

"Argh… You b*tch!"

Using all of his focus to deal with the two frontal attacks, Master Balun couldn't do anything but accept the girl's ambush and grit his teeth to withstand the surprisingly heavy blunt force that hit his left side.

His body involuntarily twitched, Balun was forced to take a step back, whilst throwing both dogs away. After successfully grabbing the incoming creature on the left and thwarting the charge of the one on the right as the spiked balls crashed onto the other one, he had to let go of all his effort just because he was attacked from the side as well.

Grabbing the chain with both hands he swung the metal balls at his left side, swaying his eyes at his three opponents.

Looking at them, he decided to not bother with being nice anymore and yelled out with a mad howl.

"MEN! ATTACK THEM! LEAVE ONLY THE B*TCH ALIVE AND KILL THE REST!"