Trouble
"I'm not afraid of attention, but couldn't the other clans just squash me like a bug?"
Enzo had seen some terrifying beings in his past life, and even though he was strong for a Tier-1, monstrously strong, in fact, he was nothing compared to the true rulers of the multiverse.
Port snorted. "Boy, there's a reason why we're still standing even though we have so many enemies."
"The Dragon Clan was once the sole ruler of the multiverse, and even though we've fallen a bit," Port put on a cheeky smile, "we still have some truly powerful people the other clans are afraid of."
Instead of feeling relieved, Enzo felt proud. His dragon's blood boiled at the thought of their clan being surrounded by enemies, only to grin madly at them as Port was doing now.
"Sophia mentioned something about the Mythic Alliance and their decision. Are we a part of some alliance? I see on our clan page that we have no allies, so what-"
Port's smile faltered as he turned to look at the inn's room window. "It-"
"Your paid time is up, gentlemen. I'll have to ask you to leave the premises." A fat man wearing expensive robes entered the room, followed by two imposing lizardmen.
Enzo frowned. "You've interrupted our conversation, and I have paid my tab for the next week."
"We don't want your scraps, filth," the fat man said, producing a bag with three silver and flung them on the floor. "Those who offend the Crown Prince are not welcome here."
Red started to tint Enzo's vision as he stared at the man, and with his last vestiges of sanity, he looked at the guards.
'Early Tier-2… It looks like it's time to test my powers.'
Enzo's eyes narrowed as he faced the two imposing lizardmen. He glanced to his side, expecting to see Port, but the small drunkard had vanished without a trace.'Typical,' Enzo thought, a mix of annoyance and amusement flashing through his mind. He'd have to handle this on his own.
The fat man sneered, backing away towards the door. "Teach this whelp a lesson, boys."
The lizardmen advanced, their claws flexing menacingly. Enzo's mind raced, trying to piece together how he could have possibly offended the Crown Prince. He'd been careful, hadn't he? But there was no time to dwell on it now.
The first lizardman lunged, surprisingly quick for his bulk. Enzo sidestepped, feeling the rush of air as claws sliced past his face. He countered with a swift kick, his foot connecting with the lizardman's knee. There was a satisfying crunch, and the creature stumbled.
But Enzo had no time to celebrate. The second guard was on him in an instant, jaws snapping shut inches from his throat. Enzo brought his elbow down hard on the lizardman's snout, feeling scales crack under the impact.
The room erupted into chaos. Furniture splintered as bodies crashed through tables and chairs. Enzo ducked under a swipe, feeling the sting as claws grazed his shoulder. He retaliated with a series of quick jabs to the lizardman's solar plexus, driving the air from its lungs.
Blood pounded in Enzo's ears as he fought. These weren't the low-level monsters he'd faced in the forest. These were Tier-2 creatures, each blow carrying enough force to shatter bone. He needed to end this quickly.
Enzo feinted left, then spun right, catching the first lizardman off guard. His fist connected with the creature's jaw, the impact reverberating up his arm. The lizardman's eyes rolled back, and it crumpled to the floor.
One down, one to go.
The remaining guard roared in fury, charging at Enzo with reckless abandon. Enzo braced himself, waiting for the last possible moment before dropping low. He used the lizardman's momentum against it, flipping the creature over his shoulder and into the wall with a resounding crash.
Breathing heavily, Enzo surveyed the wreckage of the room. Both lizardmen lay unconscious amidst the debris. The fat innkeeper was nowhere to be seen, having fled at the first sign of real violence.
'That felt a lot easier than I thought it would,' Enzo thought. 'I didn't even need to use [Space-Void Burst].'
Enzo wiped a trickle of blood from his lip, his mind already racing ahead. He still didn't understand how he'd managed to offend the Crown Prince, but it was clear that something had happened. He needed answers, and he needed them fast.
As he left the room, he let loose two [Space-Void Burst]'s and felt himself grow two levels stronger.
The feeling of growing stronger was intoxicating and kept pushing him forward.
Even if he hadn't had a quest to defeat the Crown Prince, he would have.
If only for the sweet feeling of conquering another foe.
That gave him an idea of where to look first for this unexpected turn of events.
He set off to find the giver of his quest, Protect The Princess! (2), Madame Vex.
As he made his way through the city, Enzo noticed the increased number of kingdom soldiers in the streets, and when he tried to access the wealthier side where Madame Vex's estate was located, he was stopped as there was a new blockade and guards in the dozens stationed there.
Enzo frowned and was about to retreat and look for another way through when he spotted his walking ATM, Princess Kayla, approaching the blockade.
Walking into an alley, Enzo transitioned into his beast form, making his body appear smaller than it was in its natural state.
The smaller form cost mana to upkeep, but the rate was negligible, and he could keep it going for an entire day.
"There you are, I've been wondering where you'd slithered off to." Princess Kayla, sensing her connection to Enzo nearby, turned and looked at him.
Jenna, the Princess's bodyguard, nodded at Enzo, the hint of suspicion still present in her gaze.
"Now, let me in this instant! You're blocking the Princess of the kingdom here, captain!"
After greeting Enzo, Kayla turned back around and resumed her conversation with the guard captain.
"I'm sorry, Princess." The guard captain lowered his head. "But I'm on orders not to let any through. Even royals, I'm afraid."
Jenna stepped forward and proclaimed. "Then you will tell us what this is about."
The guard captain looked hesitant, and Enzo was intrigued about what could have caused this whole debacle.
Not sharing the information with the princess? Sounded like a conspiracy tied to the Crown Prince.
"If you're not even going to tell us why you're stopping a royal from entering the upper district, I'm going to have to have a word with the garrison leaders about the budget allocated to the captains. It seems we've been too generous for far too long."
That seemed to be what tipped the captain to start talking as words rushed out.
"It's the Monster Elitists. They seem to have been wiped out."