After a very dark night, Eliza made out to prepare her forces for war. It was announced to her that she would be joining the warring factions if she really wanted to be safe.

Eliza already had forces. She wouldn't do it alone.

But, her people remained strangers to her. Martha, a stranger yet friendly presence, wasn't much concerned about those who were in the house.

When she overheard who was in the chambers to drop the news in, that she was from the beast family, she flinched. "A beast telling you this?" She spoke in her voice.

To her surprise, Eliza could hear her, in fact, very clearly. "Martha, what are you doing here at this time? Aren't you supposed to be in bed by now?" She questioned her.

Martha didn't respond. She held her mouth with her palm and marched into her room. It appeared that it was unsafe for somebody like her—a wonderful creature—to hear such news at midnight.

Without wasting much time, Eliza picked up a broom from under her bed and whacked the beast out of the room. "Get out of here, you evil bloody spirit!"

First, the beast refused to leave. She was short in stature. But, she didn't look like Votzori at all. Was it Andillo, the powerful two-headed monster? Was it Andillo's lad? Perhaps she was a little too young to be sent on such a daring errand.

Eliza wasn't a joke.

She fought whoever dealt with her back. Angrily and rashly, she stood up to the tiny messenger creature, and looking at the blood that dropped from her mouth, the King spat. She sent her out of the vicinity.

"Remember to warn your friends that the King is about to bounce on them!" Eliza added, ensuring the little beast heard her. “Wait for the way I will pounce on you!”

Now, Eliza levelled up a bit.

As if she knew, she was now a King in strategic rationalisation. And now, her eyes could see things very clearly from a distance.

…

Martha couldn't sleep. She felt more unrest than Eliza did. But, that was quite strange. She was a woman who had been raised by her mother in a small town full of terrorizing creatures, where dark and strange beings lived.

The acquaintance of her seeing such a beast warning them wasn't out of her thinking, but she still felt a sense of fear mostly.

"I hope Martha didn't see that thing!" Eliza lamented. She wouldn't allow the young woman to be cursed, as the red monsters' superstitious magic held, that women would be gullible whenever they feared for their lives, while with strange creatures like they were—the red monsters.

It was about 3 a.m already, and Eliza realized it wasn't a dream.

Reality.

A member of the red monsters had been sent to her during that time. She was sorely vexed, especially because she lost her sleep. She even had to go to Martha's room.

"Martha!" She called, twisting her name unconsciously. The air was heavy on both her voice and her eyes. She walked carelessly to her room and opened her door.

"Don't come in!" Martha said, her voice lower than normal. "I am not in my right sense, my King!"

"That makes me feel somehow, you know?" Eliza replied, her eyes glowing like the morning sun. She wanted to have rounds of discussion with Martha, and had been asking for it since a week ago.

"I am eager to hear more from you," Martha agreed, her eyes blinking. "You can come in, I'll always be available to hear what you have to say. I wanted to ask you a question."

"I hope it's not about the beast midget?" Eliza asked her faintly.

"Not at all." Martha replied, her voice rising. "I'm sure my attendants must have noticed me speaking with you, a man..."

"Don't you dare say that!" Eliza snapped, shrugging. "How on Earth would they know so deeply about me and who are those?"

"Well, I have not asked you my core question." Martha added to her words, as she moved close to Eliza. "Does it matter to know your system? Does this game give you more strength to fight?"

"I am a warrior, you know that." Eliza returned, immediately. "Any man of war should have a sword, and I am more than a warrior. I fight spirits, beasts, and humans alike. I should have someone I can ask questions and speak to..."

"Speak to…?" Martha asked, consciously reiterating Eliza's words.

"Yes!" Eliza retorted, her voice comforting. "You're a friend right now, and I need more people. Remember, I didn't allow you to see that tiny evil spirit that haunted my room?"

"You sound like you're still asleep, Eliza!" Martha commented, her words reverberating like the echo of a thunderstorm.

Eliza tried to forget what the beast was sent to inform her, but couldn't just let it go. "I am really in need of time for myself, to think about my life, my forces and most especially, Martha. I need peace in my system."

“What is your name?” Martha asked, hurling Eliza into a shock.

“Just call me Eliza,” Eliza snapped, looking sideways.

"Be calm, Eliza...!" Martha prayed. "Go to sleep now. I can see you're really deep in sleep already. Eliza, don't forget to wake up strong as usual—like ever."

"Trust me, Martha." Eliza replied, "I want you to show me your system too, probably tonight. Tomorrow will be a great day of war at my end, you know?"

"I truly understand you, but I’m weak at the moment." Martha responded humbly, her eyes full of sleep and mainly, fatigue. "I need to rest before we can check our pulse and palms."

"That will be fine..." Eliza said, but kept blabbering stubbornly. “I want us to talk tonight about it. How is your power stat?”

"We actually could know about that tomorrow, I mean later today." Martha returned, falling asleep as she softly placed her head in bed.

"Ah!" Eliza interjected. "She has fallen asleep… Martha?"

No response.

"Tomorrow sounds like today in my ears," she said to herself, glaring carefully at Martha's face and hoping she could detect her system. "The war can be won after stats are seen, and journeys are revealed!"

Eliza kept touching Martha's hands to feel her pulse. And when her eyes met the black scar, she blinked with them, her face overwhelmed with amazement.

She wanted to know her system.

But…

Dawn was already nearing, so she would just have to wait for her.