KARL RUPRECT KROENEN

As soon as the Elves saw Scarlett, they went on guard. They unsheathed their swords and pointed them at her, shouting in unison, "A succubus?"

Reiza instinctively moved closer to Scarlett. The sight of the jade beauty duo made the Elves blush hard. Reiza, already stunning enough to be considered Miss World, paled in comparison to Scarlett, who was seductive enough to be Miss Universe—or even Miss Multiverse. It was like comparing gold to diamonds. All their eyes were locked on Scarlett's chest.

Her seductive appearance radiated a charming aura from head to toe. Even if ten people were given a choice between a group of high-ranking succubi with their charm and seduction magic and Scarlett alone, all ten would choose Scarlett without a second thought.

Serom, in the prime of his youth, struggled to withstand such overwhelming charm. He quickly shouted, "We must focus! She is using her charm magic. Don't fall for it!" He tried to rally the others and himself, but despite his genuine determination, his face turned red as he glanced at Scarlett's body.

"Get your dirty gazes away from her," Reiza snapped, giving him an angry look that clearly conveyed, "Scarlett is mine." Her death stare was enough to make everyone bathe in fear and snap their focus away from Scarlett. Serom took a step back in fear, a drop of sweat trickling down his forehead.

"First of all, I'm not a succubus. I'm a dragonoid and the ruler of this village, Scarlett Nova," Scarlett introduced herself with commanding authority and a heavy voice.

"Dragonoid? Never heard of it," the Elves said in confusion.

Scarlett cleared her throat. "Cough... cough... Umm... It's a very ancient, royal, proud, and rare race. I'm the only survivor. How would peasants like you know about this divine race?" she said hesitantly, praising her own heritage.

Cutting her own sentence short, Scarlett got straight to the point. "So, why are you all here again?" she questioned.

Hearing this, Serom snapped back to his usual state. Now that he knew Scarlett wasn't a succubus but a race he'd never heard of, he didn't care. What he cared about now was impressing her. Raising his hands proudly, he exaggerated his words, "I'm here to save you all from the wrath of those twin succ—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Scarlett cut him off. "Yeah, yeah... I heard on my way here. You're forcefully trying to sell your religion here in the name of an alliance, right? So everyone will worship you?" she said with boredom.

"Sorry, boy, but we already have enough religious fanatics here. But if you have money..." Scarlett said, rubbing her palms greedily.

"Money? We had some in the village, but right now we don't have any," Serom said, puzzled and confused. He still didn't understand why these people were talking about money instead of joining forces with the remaining strongest village. They should be begging them for an alliance, right?

Scarlett's face quickly turned irritated and annoyed. "There can be no alliance if there's no money. And everyone here is practicing Scarletism, so go away," she said, waving her hand dismissively.

"Yeah, we also believe in cannibalism. F*ck off or we'll eat you," Cryptus added, pointing his sword at them. He, too, was fed up with their nonsense.

"Owww... What a line with that cute voice. I'm proud of you," Scarlett said, patting his head with a smile.

Serom scratched his head in confusion as he spoke, "Can't you all understand the disaster looming over us? Without an alliance—"

He was abruptly cut off when a hand suddenly rested on his shoulder. Every elf fell silent, recognizing it as the hand of Augustus, the first prince. Stopping someone with his hand was a serious gesture; it meant failure, and no one dared to challenge it. Even Serom took a step back, understanding the unspoken message: "Your time is over. You failed."

Augustus stepped forward, bowing his head respectfully towards Scarlett and the others. "I'm Augustus, the first prince. I deeply apologize for my brother and his companions' idiotic behavior. I'll ensure they are punished thoroughly," he said. As he turned slightly, his chilling stare fell on Serom and the other Elves, sending shivers down their spines. They couldn't meet his gaze, trembling under the weight of his authority.

"We're done for," one of the Elves thought, panic creeping in.

"We won't get killed, right? Master Serom will protect us," another thought, clinging to false hope.

Turning back to Scarlett, Augustus spoke again. "How about I start from the beginning? We are here to propose an alliance. The reason, you already know. We fear our village will perish at the hands of the succubi, and we seek an alliance with you. Since you also want to protect your village, joining forces would give us both a higher chance of success," he explained, his tone polite and sincere.

His lips curled into a confident smile as he continued, "Of course, that's not all. We can engage in some business transactions and provide you with military funding and weapons, ensuring that you profit from this alliance."

"Now that's what I call speaking," Li Feng muttered in approval, nodding his head. Everyone else was also moved by Augustus's sincere words, realizing that someone normal and intelligent was among the group of morons.

"So, what are your thoughts on this?" Augustus asked, raising his head to look at Scarlett.

As his gaze landed on Scarlett's face, he was taken aback. Scarlett had a large, menacing grin, her teeth exposed in a horrifying way as she spoke. "You, you are evil, right?" she questioned.

"W-what?" Augustus stammered, puzzled. Not only him, but everyone else was also confused by her words.

"My senses are increasing every second. Because of this, I started to sense not fully but somewhat the aura of someone's inner nature," Scarlett explained, lifting her hand and pointing at him. "But you, I didn't even needed to, you're overflowing with a dark-red aura full of malice. Just how many innocent people have you killed? Hundreds? Thousands? Hundreds of thousands?" she questioned.

Everyone was shocked, realizing that the charming, polite prince in front of them was actually a mass murderer.

Augustus's polite smile twisted into a chilling grin, a dark-black aura emanating from him as he spoke. "You got me. Yes, I've killed many people, to the point where I've lost count. But this has nothing to do with our alliance. If you're worried I'll stab you in the back, how about we make a contract?" he proposed. His reasoning was sound—in this demon realm, killing was common. No one would punish you for fighting and killing your opponent. Of course, others could do the same to you. Most villages prohibited killing innocents, but as a prince, Augustus believed he was above such rules.

"I don't have a problem with you being a murderer. Just prove your worth," Scarlett challenged.

"Prove my worth?" Augustus understood immediately. In the demon realm, only the strong survived. Scarlett was asking him to prove his strength, to show he was worthy of her trust on the battlefield.

Without hesitation, he unsheathed his sharp, curved sword, resembling a katana, and charged at Scarlett. To everyone's surprise, he suddenly vanished into thin air.

"W-what? Where did he go?" Xai exclaimed in surprise.

It was clear that the figure before them was an assassin. The darker the place, the stronger an assassin became, especially at night when their stealth increased drastically. But to vanish into thin air in broad daylight? He was clearly a genius.

One by one, alarms began popping up in Scarlett's status.

<Notification: Status effect is being used on the user>

<Notification: Blindness is being used on the user>

<Notification: Exhaustion, Weakness, Paleness, etc., is being used on the user>

In a fraction of a second, Augustus placed dozens of curses and status effects on Scarlett. But he didn't realize it was all futile.

<Resisting all effects — Resistance successful>

Scarlett sighed in irritation and annoyance. "Is that it? These tiny tricks won't work on me," she said with a hint of anger and disappointment.

As she spoke, Scarlett raised her left hand and grabbed at the thin air. Suddenly, a figure began to materialize in front of everyone—it was Augustus. His neck was firmly in Scarlett's grip as she lifted him into the air, her height making the difference even more pronounced.

"Too bad, you got caught," Scarlett smiled at him with a hint of mockery.

"Nope, you're the one who got caught," Augustus replied, struggling in Scarlett's grip. His body began to disintegrate, melting away into the ground within seconds. Scarlett realized too late that it was just a clone.

As Scarlett tried to move, she sensed something restricting her. Thin, strong threads bound her arms, legs, and waist. "Spider webs?" she thought, recognizing the nearly invisible material.

Scarlett was about to incinerate the threads when a shocking scene unfolded. A black, swirling rift in space-time appeared right beside Scarlett's face.

"Scarlett-sama, retreat from there!" Xai shouted, her voice filled with worry.

Everything happened in a split second. Before anyone could react, a bullet shot out from the black rift and hit Scarlett directly in the face.

...

"Booyah!" Augustus exclaimed, now standing over two kilometers away from Dreadhaven. He wore a brown fiber military coat with matching pants, perched atop a mountain. In his hands was a long, modern sniper rifle.

"Hehehe... My unique skill—Sniper—grants me four abilities. First, I can produce a sniper rifle out of thin air. Second, magic perception allows me to identify any target within my eyesight while masking my magical aura so no one can predict where or when I'll shoot. Third, outcome manipulation analyzes the target's movements, ensuring I hit my mark. And last but not least, space manipulation. This ability lets me connect two points in space, ensuring my bullet reaches its target with 100% accuracy—an absolute hit rate," he Murmured, a sinister smile spreading across his face.

"I sensed she was powerful, but my mana bullet should have at least rendered her unconscious for two or three days," Augustus pondered, his brow furrowed in thought. He pointed his gun back towards the village, looking through the scope to see the impact of his shot.

As he peered through the scope, his heart skipped a beat. Two kilometers away, just where Scarlett was supposed to be hit, she stood without a scratch, her posture unchanged as if nothing had happened. Astonishment and fear gripped him.

Scarlett was chewing the "mana bullet" that Augustus had launched. When the bullet was about to hit her, she had simply blocked it with her teeth and now chewed it like gum.

Her mischievous smile was unsettling as her gaze locked directly onto Augustus, even from such a great distance. It was as if she were looking straight at him, enjoying his reaction. "No way, she can see me? I opened the space-rift from the opposite direction so no one would understand where the bullet actually came from. And we are so far awa—"

"How can I not see you when I'm this close to you?" came a voice that sent chills down his spine. It was Scarlett's voice, right beside him. Augustus turned slightly, only to find Scarlett's head resting on his shoulder as if she had been sitting there for years, her expression indifferent.

"When did you—" He was taken aback, but he didn't hesitate. Without wasting a second, he jumped backward, putting distance between them. "You... Do you also have some kind of space-manipulation skill?" he questioned, his voice edged with fear and disbelief.

Scarlett stood up and sighed, giving him a thumbs-down. "Nope! I just ran here," she said, sticking out her tongue playfully.

Augustus understood that the opponent he was facing was no ordinary foe. He drew two medium-sized swords, one in each hand, and charged at Scarlett with all his speed. He closed the distance precisely, raising his swords and slashing at her hands in an "X" shape. But to his newfound surprise, his swords shattered as they made contact with Scarlett's hand.

Augustus's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything. Instead of succumbing to fear, he began analyzing the situation. "Should I escape? No! My mission will fail. I came here to forge an alliance, not to engage in a death match," he pondered as he stared at the broken blades. Scarlett's expression remained calm, almost amused. She flicked the remnants of his swords away with a casual gesture.

"Are you wearing a military suit? And is that Latin fiber and silk?" Scarlett questioned, her curiosity piqued. In Dreadhaven, only cotton was available, and they could only produce basic garments. Seeing Augustus in such sophisticated attire indicated that his village had advanced clothing production. Augustus had already demonstrated his strength and intelligence, providing a compelling reason for her to consider an alliance. Now, his attire added another layer of interest. Scarlett was now just passing the time with him.

"I guess there are many interesting individuals in this world," Augustus smiled, running towards her.

"This world? Is he an otherworlder too?" Scarlett wondered. In this world, small rifles existed but not snipers. When Scarlett saw him with a sniper, she initially thought he might have a unique skill. Now, his tone suggested he was an otherworlder and possibly a serial killer in his past life.

While Scarlett pondered all of this slowly, without any apparent concern, Augustus was closing in. He raised his broken sword to slash directly at Scarlett's eyes. As the sword was just a few inches away from Scarlett's glasses, she side-stepped precisely. In a split second, she was standing behind him. Before he could even react, she delivered a chop to the back of his neck.

That slow chop was enough to make him faint. As his consciousness faded and his body started dropping toward the ground, Scarlett caught him and slung him over her shoulder with ease.

Scarlett carried Augustus back to the village, his unconscious body draped over her shoulder. At the entrance, the sight that greeted her was tense and chaotic. The remaining elves stood paralyzed with fear, their eyes wide with terror. Li Feng and Cryptus had their swords poised at the elves' necks, ready to strike at the slightest provocation. The atmosphere was electric with dread, and sweat poured down Serom's face as he realized just how dire their situation had become.

As Scarlett approached with Augustus, the villagers and elves watched in stunned silence. The strongest and most feared warrior among them had been effortlessly subdued. The tension in the air was palpable, disbelief and fear etched on every face.

"Is this the best you have to offer?" Scarlett's voice dripped with mockery as she surveyed the remaining elves. "If this is the extent of your strength, I'm not impressed."

One of the elves, trembling with fear and desperation, stepped forward, his voice quivering. "Please, we beg you. Our village is under threat. We need your help to fend off the twin succubi. We came here seeking an alliance, not conflict." The tone of every elf shifted to one of respect and politeness, even Serom bowed down, humbled by the turn of events.

Scarlett sighed, her expression softening slightly. "Very well. I will consider your request. But know this: I do not tolerate weakness or deceit. If you wish to ally with us, you must prove your worth."

The elf nodded vigorously, relief washing over his face. "Thank you, Scarlett-sama. We will prove ourselves worthy of your alliance."

Scarlett glanced down at the unconscious Augustus. "I'll take him back to my village to discuss the terms of our alliance. You are all free to leave. No need to worry, I'm not going to kill him."

The elves quickly gathered, their movements hurried and frantic as they prepared to leave without even a backward glance at their prince. Scarlett watched them go, her mind racing with thoughts and strategies. This unexpected encounter had given her much to consider, and she knew that the coming days would be crucial for the future of Dreadhaven.

As the elves disappeared into the distance, Scarlett turned to her own people. "I need to have a few questions with him alone. Prepare yourselves. We have new allies to evaluate and a war to win."

The villagers nodded, determination and trust in their eyes. They knew that under Scarlett's leadership, they had a fighting chance against any threat that came their way.

Scarlett carried Augustus to a secluded area within the village, away from prying eyes. She laid him down gently on the ground and waited for him to regain consciousness. Moments later, Augustus stirred, groaning softly as he opened his eyes. Confusion flickered across his face as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. His head throbbed with a dull pain from where Scarlett had struck him.

"Welcome back," Scarlett said, her voice calm but commanding. She stood over him, arms crossed, a slight smirk playing on her lips. "I have some questions for you."

Augustus blinked, his vision clearing. He squinted at the unfamiliar surroundings, the dim light casting eerie shadows around him. "Where am I?" he asked, his voice hoarse and dry.

Scarlett chuckled softly. "Now, now... No need to say such dramatic lines. You're in Dreadhaven," she replied. "And you're going to tell me everything I need to know. So first question, what's your real name?"

Augustus sat up slowly, wincing as he rubbed the back of his neck. He looked at her with a mixture of wariness and curiosity. "Why should I tell you anything?" he challenged, his voice gaining a bit of its usual strength.

Scarlett leaned in closer, her eyes locking onto his with an intensity that made him uneasy. "Because your life, and the lives of your people, depend on it. I'm willing to consider an alliance, but I need to know what I'm dealing with."

Augustus studied her for a moment, weighing his options. With a long sigh, he began to speak, his voice tinged with bitterness and resignation. "Pftt, you think I care about them? It's become a complicated relationship. My mind doesn't care about them, but my heart slightly does. I don't really care if they die or live, but if there's a chance to keep them alive, then I want them to live. I guess after being reborn, I grew a heart too."

He paused, a distant look in his eyes as he recalled his past. "Before, when I was human, I was able to fight even if my arms were broken, even if I hadn't eaten anything for weeks, My nickname was Human Zombie. But now? I got knocked unconscious with just one hit. I'm ashamed of myself," he sighed deeply, the weight of his words heavy in the air.

He lifted his face and turned his gaze towards Scarlett, who was sitting in front of him in a chair, exuding an aura of authority as if it were her throne. He laughed bitterly. "Real name, huh? So you realized I'm an otherworlder. Are you an otherworlder too?"

Scarlett's smile widened, her eyes gleaming with a hint of amusement. "I'm the one who will ask questions. Your job is to answer."

"Hehehe... Well, if it were before, even if you killed me, my people, and even my family, it wouldn't have mattered. But now, here, my identity holds no value. It's not something I want to hide anyway."

He took a deep breath, his eyes meeting hers with a steely resolve. "I'm Karl Ruprect Kroenen, Hitler's top assassin."