It was evening and Sylvia was in a different dimension altogether.
To get in and get out of this dimension, she could only do so via a fixed gate.
When she was at a considerable distance from the gate, training Zen, a conversation between the two happened.
"Awooo. Woo. Woowoo!" Zen ran around Sylvia's feet in circles and howled.
Sylvia, with an expressionless face, said, "Yes. Ren must be training too."
Zen then stopped in front of Sylvia, put his paws on her legs and looked up, right into her eyes.
"Woof! Woof! Wooooo!" He began scratching her leg and pleading.
"No. You cannot meet him." Sylvia said flatly in her monotonous voice.
"Wooo..." Zen's eyes became watery and he continued to scratch his owner's legs. "Woo. Woof. Woof..."
Sylvia shook her head. "Saying you will be a good boy doesn't mean anything. Get back to training."
"Woo..." Zen was dejected and whimpered.
His tail dropped and so did his ears as he walked.
Sylvia wasn't buying the sadness and was as heartlessly emotionless as before.
Suddenly, as if having an idea, Zen's tail began shaking. He turned around, woofed, and jumped on Sylvia, then moved onto her shoulder and rubbed his face against her smooth neck.
"Woowoowoo!" Zen said and began licking her neck.
Sylvia blinked in amusement and held the pup by his scruff and pulled him away. She brought him in front of her face and looked him dead in the eyes.
"Woof! Woof!" Zen said and began wagging his tail while panting with his tongue out.
"You're saying you want to meet Ren in between your breaks?" Sylvia asked.
"Woof!"
Sylvia shook her head. "That's not possible. By the time we reach the gate, the break will be over. It's pointless. If I could teleport straight to him, I would've taken you. But I cannot."
Zen was dejected and felt defeated.
Sylvia put him down and said, "Go train."
Zen's tail drooped and he walked away in sadness. He began training for a few seconds, but right then, as if something clicked him, he looked at the sky and howled.
"Awoooooooo—!"
Lith nodded and then said, "I thank you for fending off those two guys from before and bringing Liz and Meryl here."
Jacqueline was taken aback. She was expecting anything but gratitude.
She straightened her back and said with a curt nod, "No problem."
"Do you know why we have all gathered here?" Lith asked.
Jacqueline shook her head.
Lith sat upright and began mixing a cube of sugar in his tea that Fei just poured.
"We're here for the downfall of the Evure God Clan." Lith said calmly.
A deathly silence took over the room with the only sound permeating in everyone's ears being the clinking of the spoon in Lith's teacup as he stirred the sugar.
"There's still time. You can leave if you want to." Lith focused on the tea and said.
"Why are you doing this?" Jacqueline asked. There should surely be some reason behind the downfall, after all nobody wakes up and thinks one day that they would cause the downfall of a major powerhouse.
Lith sipped his tea and glanced at her. "Your clan was the reason for my grandparents' death. The debt of blood can only be repaid by blood."
"What?"
Lith shook his head and refused to elaborate. "If you leave now, we will see each other on the battlefield. However, if you decide to stay, you would have to watch your own people die helplessly in our hands, all the while knowing that you aren't able to do anything."
"..." Jacqueline frowned and knit her brows.
The ladies on the table focused on having snacks and chose to keep themselves out of the conversation. On the other table, the mercenaries had sensed the mood and even Gileus was eating silently so as to not disturb anyone.
Jacqueline rubbed her temples. She was rebellious and hated the people of her clan, but not everyone was bad. Some surely deserved to die due to their actions, but not everyone.
"What if I just kill you—"
Ba-dump—!
Jacqueline's heart skipped a beat the moment those words left her mouth and a great chill went down her spine.
Every single person around the table, excluding Lith, was looking at her with a cold gaze, including the ladies who were sweetly talking to her before.
Jacqueline had sweat form on the back of her neck.
She raised her hands in defeat and said, "Okay, my apologies. I did not mean that. However, what if you took a different approach than this? Surely something can be done to not be at odds with our clan, right?"
"Yes." Lith answered calmly. "Everything will be resolved if all your clan members killed themselves and ceased to exist."
"..."