Alex and Tereza continue their stroll through the vige. Though Tereza seems like she’s just enjoying herself, it’s clear she’s using her high SNS to carefully observe their surroundings. She studies theyout of the vige, notes the various shops, watches the behavior of the NPCs, and most of all, keeps an eye out for other yers.


    <em>I can’t tell if she’s serious or not… Well, this vige is pretty small. We’ll be done soon enough. Might as well head back ho—</em>


    Alex’s thoughts are interrupted as he spots a group of yers approaching them. It’s an entire team, and judging by their demeanor, Alex quickly sizes them up as the mafia members he identified earlier.


    Tereza looks up at him with a smirk, still clinging to his arm, clearly curious to see how he’ll handle the situation.


    <em>What’s with that look? Huh?</em>


    Alex and Tereza continue walking forward, while the team of yers does the same. Both groups lock eyes as they approach each other.


    <em>Just ignore them… why bother? Don’t tell me she still wants me to keep up the strategy. I hate senseless confrontations. I’ve already done enough to build up my reputation. Not doing it!</em>


    Alex res at the group. Their expressions are a mix of fear, arrogance, hatred, and jealousy.


    <em>Ignore those fucking idiots… just ignore them… Ugh… What is this???</em>


    Suddenly, Alex feels <strong>[Commander Shepard’s Dog Tag]</strong> activate on its own,pletely against his will. A red sh appears in his eyes, and his aura surges, spiking sharply as he stops in front of the approaching group, blocking their way.


    “This is my road and vige. Pay me 10,000 FC… or get lost! EACH OF YOU,” Alex threatens, his voice loud and forceful, almost a scream, as his aura res even stronger than before.@@novelbin@@


    “You! How dare you!!! Do you know… who… Ugh…” One of the yers steps forward but is immediately overwhelmed and suppressed by Alex’s aura.


    <strong>[Warning: yer’s use of Nen is approaching the threshold of an attack. Please be aware that PvP is strictly forbidden and will be immediately punished should you attack one of your allied yers. Please be aware of the risk before proceeding.]</strong>


    <em>Shit, that almost went too far. I swear this damn Dog Tag is broken! It’s… getting dangerous!</em>


    Alex suppresses his aura as fast as he can, desperately pulling himself back from the edge. Without hesitation, he yanks off <strong>[Commander Shepard’s Dog Tag]</strong> and shoves it back into his inventory.


    “Nico, are you okay? You crazy fucker, what the hell do you want?” one of the mafia team members yells, ring at Alex. “Don’t think we’re pushovers. Do you want to die? PvP is forbidden during this mission!”


    “Sorry about that. It was just a joke,” Alex says with a twisted grin. “Surely you guys aren’t scared of just one guy? But isn’t this hrious? You’re relying on the system to protect you? You call yourselves mafia, but you’re the most pathetic ones I’ve ever seen. You’re a fucking joke, a disgrace to your profession. Hahahahahahahaha!”


    Alex bursts into mockingughter, his expression wild, almost crazed.


    The group looks furious, but there’s nothing they can do. Defeated, they lower their heads and walk away, clearly humiliated.


    <em>Shit. I’ve already taken it off, but nothing’s changed! Is this the price for relying on that thing too much?</em>


    “Oh wow, you really showed them. I have to say, I’ve got goosebumps. Incredible!” Tereza says, looking at him with a mix of shock and admiration.


    “What’s wrong?” she asks, noticing Alex’s pale face and the worried look in his eyes.


    “I… might have a problem. Let’s go back,” Alex says quietly, his expression confused and troubled.


    … … …


    Alex and Tereza arrive back at their shared house, the sun slowly setting.


    “Back already? Found anything interesting?” Roja asks, her curiosity obvious.


    “No. Is Rishi already sleeping?” Alex asks.


    “Yeah, he was pretty tired and decided to go to bed early,” Peh answers.


    <em>Shit… I better not wake him up, or he might be in bad shape tomorrow. Maybe I should just go to sleep myself. I need to calm down. Might as well dump the herbs and books about potions first.</em>


    Alex heads to the kitchen and sees Menchi experimenting with one of the smaller pieces of basilisk meat, running multiple tests. He also notices the new pots and pans he gave her—now looking spotless and shining.


    “Alex? What is it? I’m really busy,” Menchi says without looking up.


    “Bought you some herbs and books,” Alex replies. “We’ll be here for a while, so it’s probably a good idea to study first, before using up too many ingredients to do tedious experiments. Maybe you could apply some of the principles of potion-making to your cooking? These books exin the effects of the herbs and the theory behind the potions made with them.”


    Alex ces the herbs and books in front of her.


    “Thank you so much, Alex! That’s actually a really smart idea. This is exactly what I needed! I can even use <strong>Gastronova</strong> to make the process more efficient…” Menchi says excitedly, but then she pauses and looks at him closely. “Wait… is something wrong?”


    Alex hesitates, debating whether to share. <em>I better not tell her… although… why not? I need help. Any help is wee….</em>


    He sighs and exins his struggles with <strong>[Commander Shepard’s Dog Tag]</strong>, detailing how it activated on its own, his recent difficulties controlling it, and his worry that he may have relied on it too much in the past. He also mentions what happened earlier with the other yers.


    Menchi immediately stops what she’s doing, shutting off the stove and clearing the counters. Without a word, she grabs Alex by the arm and drags him toward the bedroom she’s chosen for herself—right next to the kitchen.


    As they pass Tereza and the others, Alex hears Tereza nagging: “Hey! That’s unfair! We all agreed, no distractions during the mission… hey!!”


    Menchi ignores her and pushes Alex into the room.


    “Sit down on the bed and strip,” Menchi orders.


    <em>What the fuck is she doing now? This is serious!!</em>


    “Don’t question me, just do it!” Menchi snaps, clearly annoyed.


    Alex awkwardly starts to strip but hesitates as he begins to remove his shirt. Before he can figure out what she means, Menchi smacks him on the ass.


    “Not fully, silly! I just meant take off your armor and heavy clothes so you can rx!”


    “Oh… sorry,” Alex says, realizing how obvious that should’ve been.


    Menchi rolls her eyes and waits for him to finish before continuing.


    “Now, Zetsu. Calm down and listen: relying on tools from time to time is smart. But depending on them? That’s a fatal mistake—you should know this,” she says firmly.


    Alex initiates Zetsu, but his mind races. <em>It saved me quite a few times and brought me some huge gains. Sure, you’re always smarter after the fact, but I don’t need a lecture right now.</em>


    “I said calm down! Concentrate on your breathing!” Menchi snaps, her tonemanding. “Nen isn’t just a tool to enhance yourself—it’s about tempering your spirit as much as your body. Thanks to the system, you might be a skilled Nen user, but you’re stillcking when ites to tempering your mind. This isn’t a lecture, but you need to be calm,” Menchi says, fully in teacher mode now.


    “Now, you were actually quite smart toe clean about this problem early. Good job on that,” Menchi says, her tone softening slightly. “That alone tells me you’re not being controlled—you just have trouble keeping a calm mind. Subconsciously, you’ve been using the conversation techniques provided by the Dog Tag. From what you’ve told me, it seems like you especially leaned on the so-called Renegade option, a behavior pattern that’s not really your usual style. So, first things first: breathe, calm down, and think logically. Go over every situation where you’ve used it, not just in this world, but in every world you’ve been to so far.”


    <em>Every single damn time? I barely remember…</em>


    Alex begins to recall his liberal use of the Dog Tag. He remembers the multiple times he relied on it shortly after acquiring it in Gaia, the world of Final Fantasy 9. He even remembers using it to intimidate pathetic vigers who posed no real threat to him. As he revisits every instance where he used the Dog Tag, Alex realizes something.


    “I’ve always immediately used the Dog Tag. I didn’t even consider if I could handle the situation without it. I should’ve at least tried first and only used it as ast resort—or in emergencies,” Alex says, his tone calmer now.


    “Exactly. And now that habit is deeply ingrained in you,” Menchi replies. “You said it yourself, you used its tactics against the yers earlier, even when you weren’t wearing it. That’s just silly! You did it yourself. You copied the effects of the Dog Tag without needing it. That alone proves you don’t need to fear it. What you do need is to control yourself. Now, take it back and equip it.”


    “Are you serious? Why?” Alex asks, frowning.


    “It doesn’t matter,” Menchi says bluntly. “What matters is your mind, your attitude, and your control. If you want to act that way, as you did earlier, you’ll do so with or without the Dog Tag. Wearing it makes no difference at this point.”


    Alex hesitates, but Menchi doesn’t give him time to overthink.


    “Now,” she continues, “I’m going to show you a new breathing technique. And while I’m at it, I’ll exin a little about control, temperance, and spirituality.”


    Alex subconsciously smirks, but before he can say anything, Menchi ps him lightly across the face.


    “You canugh all you want, but I’m always in control,” Menchi says sharply. “When I act out, it’s because I choose to. You? You’re not in control. So, while you might think this is funny, you also know I’m right.”


    Menchi crosses her arms and adds, “And you didn’tsh out just now when I pped you, which tells me you know you deserved it, and you can control yourself! Now cut the bullshit. We have a lot of work to do. Tomorrow’s going to be an important day.”


    Alex closes his eyes and begins the breathing technique Menchi teaches him. Focusing on her instructions, he carefully regtes his breathing and feels himself calming down. For the first time in hours, a sense of serenity begins to wash over him.


    <em>I think it’ll be fine. Good thing I told her, after all.</em>


    Spoiler


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