It was morning. The sunlight shone through the window. Outside, the morning dew dropped from a tree. The street was quiet. There were a few patrols going around.
Inside the room, a man with black hair was asleep in a bed. He was wearing a torn-up patient's gown, and his face was messy. He resembled a crazy person who just escaped a mental asylum.
The birds chirped and his eyes slowly opened. Just like his hair, his eyes were black. He looked to be around in his 20s with a well-built physique.
"Where… am I?"
This man was Shadow. The man who escaped Sirius's laboratory. He slowly lifted his body off the bed. He had no energy because he was running away from those crazy scientists for who knows how long.
A wonderful smell wafted over from outside the room.
Shadow couldn't help but get off the bed. He noticed the living conditions of his room were quite excellent. The floor was made out of marble tiles. The glass was tall and wide with gold accents. The furniture was mostly white in color and had a modern design.
His bare feet stepped on the ground. It was a cold sensation that reminded Shadow of his freedom.
Creak.
The door opened and Shadow made way to the wonderful smell of food. He entered the dining room and found two figures seated.
A man was seated at the head of the table. His features were refined, and mature with fair hair and icy blue eyes. A distinct aura could be felt from him.
Seated at the side of the table was a beautiful woman. She had flaming red hair and eyes that complimented her bold demeanor. Her face was delicate and gave one the impression of innocence but her body was one that was full of sexiness and appeal. She wore a dark dress with a deep v that showed off her cleavage that clung tightly to the outlines of her body.
"How are you feeling?" Winter greeted with a warm smile.
"Were you the one who saved me?" Shadow cautiously asked.
"Yes. How could I leave you alone when you were in such bad conditions?" Winter maintained his smile. It was his way of roping people in.
Shadow immediately bowed his head and waist down to almost a 90-degree angle. Perhaps if he was more flexible, his head would be on the floor.
"I will definitely remember this kindness! I am a person who always repays a debt of gratitude two-fold!" Shadow said seriously.
Rosane couldn't help but let out a burst of charming laughter that sounded like bells. "Don't be so serious. You talked like we just saved you from hell."
Shadow's face darkened at Rosane's words. The place he escaped from was definitely the place closest to hell.
"Now, now, why don't you join us for a meal?" Winter invited.
He rang a bell on the table and a chef came out to serve an additional set of food.
Shadow was so touched that his eyes became misty. I'm not crying! My eyes are just sweating!
Meanwhile, at the mayor's residence.
Loti was seated across the mayor. The mayor had grey hair and dark eyes just like any other old man. He had a slight belly and looked like he enjoyed a comfortable life.
The mayor took out a handkerchief and wiped his sweat off. "Am I really going to get overthrown like this?"
Loti told the mayor about what happened inside the dungeon and Spring-Autumn's relation to the Primo family.
"Is there anything we can do?" The mayor asked anxiously.
Loti thought carefully. "The dungeon is still intact. The minotaurs don't look like they would stop spawning anytime soon so we can send our men inside. We can keep farming the minotaur meat and steadily get stronger. We may have fewer men but those guys are too preoccupied with defending the wall and won't have enough food to feed all of them. We have the advantage in our smaller amount of people so we can keep feeding our men. In the long run, our men would be stronger than their party."
"That's good. That's good. You have my full support." The mayor said excitedly. "You have the authorization to take firearms with you if it's useful."
"Understood."
With the mystery of the dungeon somewhat solved and the security of the city secured, the real struggle for control of the city was beginning. There were two major parties within this battle.
The first party: the mayor who wants to maintain his power. Without his power, he would be nothing. His luxurious life, his power, his authority. He must maintain his position at all costs! The only reason he was able to get these [Users] on his side was because of his position. He was just a regular person without any special abilities. If he were to lose his position, these [Users] would no longer be with him. He would practically be dead meat.
The second party: the rising Primo family! At this point, pretty much every sentient person has noticed the ambitions of Winter. The first city he secured would mark it as an important landmark. Every [User] under Winter understood his might. After this city, there would be the next, and the next, and the next. There were many people that could be saved. Diamond City was considered a safe place now. The final step was to take control of it so that he could have a base to work off of to "save" the other cities.