Rise of the Apex Predator: A LitRPG Adventure

Jenny observed the two women with analytical precision. Both were dressed in silk clothes and a faint hint of makeup. Her mother's dress was of lower quality, but worth more than the rags she noticed the other citizens were wearing on the way to the palace. Karen's incessant fussing didn't even register in Jenny's mind as she observed the one named Quenai Lightbringer, who in turn had an almost hungry look on her face.

"Oh, this hairstyle is just atrocious." Karen tried to fix Jenny's hair, only to recoil when the frost numbed her fingers.

"So, this is your lovely daughter?" Quenai asked in a pleasant tone. "I must say, I am suitably impressed."

"Yes, my lady," Karen snapped to attention. "She is the most perfect girl there is. Might have picked up some bad habits, but such is expected after spending time with the uncivilized—"

The room suddenly got a lot colder, making the two women shiver uncontrollably. Jenny on the other hand was sitting comfortably; her eyes locked onto the mastermind behind her city's suffering.

"I am here as a messenger," Jenny spoke with calm indifference. Only now did Karen notice that her daughter was yet to acknowledge her existence.

"Oh?" Quenai asked with barely hidden amusement and lust. "And what is the message?"

But Karen tried to interrupt the conversation. "That is no way to speak to your superiors, I thought I taught you better than that."

"Surrender now, and maybe you'll keep your life," Jenny continued, ignoring the annoyance like a stray gust of wind.

The words further angered Karen and wiped the smirk off Quenai's face. She turned to her subordinate.

"Not the kind of personality you depicted to me," she spoke directly with Karen. "Not to mention, I am yet to see her listen to you…what was the term you used? Yeah, obediently. This, I am not impressed with."

Jenny saw her mother's face flush with embarrassment and fear as she bowed apologetically. "I need to have a private word with my daughter, my lady. I don't know what has gotten into her."

Quenai's hungry gaze lingered on Jenny for a moment, before she stood up and started to walk out.

"You have fifteen minutes," she said on her way. "If you can't control her, what use are you?"

Jenny noticed Karen starting to sweat, apologizing profusely. Yet, Jenny's gentle smile didn't waver a bit as she continued to give her full attention to her target.

"You have twenty," she said with a predatory grin. "Better come to a decision quick."

Quenai's amusement was replaced with a silent fury as she stomped out in an entitled huff. Only after the scheming woman was out of the room did Karen turn to face Jenny, her eyes red with fury.

"How dare you make me lose face like that?" her tirade began. "I brought you into this world after suffering for thirty hours of labor pains. I clothed you, educated you, protected you. And this is how you behave? You forgot everything I taught you in less than a year? And for what? Some wild gang of misfits who know nothing about scholarly success or the sacrifices I made."

For the first time since their encounter, Jenny made eye contact with Karen. And the act made the older woman stumble back in alarm. There was no emotional outburst, pleading cries or justifications. Jenny's cold indifference was all it took to make her back off.

"Are you done?" Jenny asked with a raised eyebrow. "My head's starting to hurt from your bickering."

"Wha—" Karen stuttered, clutching her chest like she was having a heart attack.

Jenny was quite familiar with the body language, and what came after—enhanced guilt tripping tactics designed to make her back down. Karen was quite proficient in getting out when cornered. Unfortunately, she was in uncharted territory.

"My worst fears have been realized," Karen dry sobbed. "You have turned into you father. All my hard work to raise you right has been for nothing."

Jenny didn't even bother waiting for Karen to finish as she walked up to the window. "Pretty interesting weather outside, don't you think?"

Karen had to do a double take at Jenny's response. Her entire playbook was being turned on its head.

"How can you talk about the weather when you mother is—"

"I remember you never quite liked the cold," Jenny cut her off with a melancholic tone. "Even though I used to love making snow angels, you never let me. Just because I defied you once to play in the snow, you moved us to a city without snowfall."

"That was for your own good, and you know it," Karen practically screamed.

But she never got the raise she was expecting. Jenny still stood with her back to Karen, her voice cold as ice.

"My brother liked the snow too." Jenny's voice was filled with sadness. "But he had the courage to stand up for himself. He chose to stay with dad to avoid moving."

Karen sputtered, unable to come up with anything. She had a counter for angry lashing out; but against the calm and composed Jenny she had no way of gaining moral high ground.

"All my life, you made me look at the world with your distorted lens," Jenny went on, hammering her grief into Karen's heart. "My hollow scholarly accolades, the genuine well-wishes of friends, my brother's love. You took it all and twisted it to make yourself look good and fulfill your insatiable need for control. I was merely a doll you were playing dress up with. A symbol to flaunt your perfect little game. Even today, despite knowing my state the last time we met, the first words out of your mouth were not to check if I was okay. They were of disappointment that your doll had devolved away from your preconceived image."

Jenny had considered how this confrontation would go. She had replayed this scenario in her head hundreds of times. Angry screaming, righteous fury, verbal lashing to show how much she had hurt in the past. But at this moment, she didn't have any intention of doing any of that. Because she truly felt nothing towards the woman before her.

Karen on the other hand was clueless on how to object. None of Jenny's words could be weaponized to turn the tide of the conversation. Jenny wasn't trying to gain approval or justify herself. She was merely stating facts with a cold surgical precision.

"You can't be serious," Karen said with actual tears in her eyes. "I sacrificed everything for you. I—"

"What is your most beloved thing?" Jenny asked, once again, not letting her speak in circles. When no answer came, she answered it herself. "Your academic career. Would you have sacrificed that for me?"

"Of course—"

"You wouldn't," Jenny shut her down hard. "The reason I know is because I overheard you talking to the Dean of your university. Back when I had a broken leg. I believe your exact words were: 'There is no need to delay the conference. My Jenny can take care of herself.' You left a seven-year-old to the care of unknown babysitters so that you could give a lecture. It was dad and Kevin who showed up at the doorstep within hours of me reaching out to them. They took the first flight out, leaving everything they were doing. Heh. And the naïve spineless idiot that I was never registered that you didn't need a career since dad was paying child support. That too, far beyond what was needed."

There was desperation in Karen's eyes as she racked her brains to take control of the narrative. But it was useless in the face of facts. Facts that she concealed from Jenny. Or at least thought she did.

"I was naïve, not stupid," Jenny said with a flat look. "You think I don't know the cost of your extravagant lifestyle? A life that dad was paying for. And after his death, the inheritance he left behind."

Karen looked to the ground in guilt and shame. Jenny on the other hand was done with this farce. She calmly strode back to her chair to wait for the countdown. Everything she wanted to say was off her chest and there was nothing left to add.

"Sweetheart, I am so sorry," Karen said sweetly. But the surreptitious looks at the door proved that the apology was more out of fear than genuine remorse. "I should have been there for you more. I see that now. And it is something we can work together as a family. But you need to help me out—"

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

"Family?" Jenny scoffed. "Well then, tell me this. Where is Kevin? Where is my older brother?"

The silence was absolute as Karen fidgeted, looking between Jenny and the door that could open any second now.

"He—he made some powerful enemies, sweetheart," Karen tried to justify in a pleading tone. "I have fought tooth and nail to keep him safe. You'll see. All we need is to listen to their instructions, and he'll be unharmed."

The disgust that rose from Jenny's gut was hard to control. She withdrew a crystal recording from her inventory and played it.

"He is no son of mine. The brat resembles his obnoxious father. Not like my sweet girl."

Karen's face was ghost white as her voice echoed in the room. "You—you've been spying on me?"

"Oh, we've been doing a lot more than that," Jenny replied, a sinister smile appearing on her face. "I believe that door is about to burst open right about…now."

As if on cue, Quenai stormed into the room with four other men—one of them carried by the other three.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" she bellowed with a raised finger.

Karen tried to intervene, only to be shoved to the ground hard. No one so much as glanced her way as Quenai towered over Jenny's seated form. The intimidation didn't work though, as Jenny nonchalantly checked her fingernails.

"What is it I am being accused of doing?" she asked with a mocking grin.

"My prisoners," Quenai demanded in maddening fury. "Where are they?"

Jenny looked at the dangling captive. "You have one there, don't you?" She gave the man a smile. "Hey Erwin. Long time!"

Erwin was struggling like a wild animal, trying to break free and escape from the two men holding him down. He kept mumbling something about an "ice demon witch".

"My other prisoners," Quenai demanded.

Jenny shrugged. "Check the shadows of your dungeons. They might be tucked away somewhere."

"You—," Quenai sputtered, spit flying everywhere. "You will regret this. My family will destroy you and all you hold dear. Seize her."

The Alliance leader pointed her finger at Jenny, who simply lounged on the chair with a humorous smile. No one took a step forward.

"What are you doing, Silas?" Quenai demanded. "I gave you an order."

Jenny watched the last man—Silas—with an expectant look. She was itching for a good bashing. Unfortunately, the man caved before even drawing weapons.

"I can't take her, my lady," Silas said glumly, taking an involuntary step back. Jenny's smile broadened as she turned back to Quenai, who floundered for the right words.

"Need to call for backup?" Jenny asked with a twinkle in her eye. "We have time. You still have five more minutes for your decision. I'd ask them to hurry though. Or you could use your bottomless bag of tricks to pull out another artifact. I'm fine either way."

"You think you're powerhouses," Quenai rebuffed. "Once this tutorial ends, my family will devour your little city. We will make slaves out of you all. You will serve me personally, in chains of servitude. I will stamp out this defiant streak out of you."

For the first time, Jenny's smile fell—and so did the city's temperature. The soft flurries were replaced with a bone-chilling blizzard. The icy winds shattered the window as they permeated the palace walls.

And from the whiteout four Snow Wolves emerged, forming a defensive circle around their seated Alpha.

Luna and the rest of the pack growled threateningly, making all the humans fall back in alarm. As Jenny got up, the wolves backed off obediently.

"You wish to see power?" Jenny's eyes gleamed blue. "Wish to see what Defiance looks like?" A sword started to grow from her raised hand. "So be it."

An ice vortex formed around Jenny and the wolves, forcing the humans to shut their eyes. When they reopened them, the ice demon was gone along with the wolves.

But for some reason, it gave everyone in the room chills.

* * *

Karen

Karen just lay there like an ice sculpture, staring at the spot her daughter once stood. No. That couldn't be her daughter. That was no…human. It couldn't be. The look of pure indifference wasn't something humans were capable of. Her sweet and perfect child could never turn into that.

"Where'd they go?" Lady Lightbringer screamed from her right. But Karen couldn't register those words. Her entire mind was focused on the one that looked like her girl.

"Ah, this is useless," Lady Lightbringer said. She withdrew some weird metal disk and started scribbling something using her own blood. "You think you can take my birthright? You have another thing coming for you."

The madness in her eyes was visible even to Karen now.

"My lady, it's too early," Silas urged from behind her. "Our men aren't in position yet."

"It doesn't matter," she shot back. As she finished her ritual, a shockwave of pure mana burst outwards. "As long as we save this city, my Nobility will be secured."

Lady Lightbringer started laughing maniacally, completely oblivious to the distraught man beside her. The two soldiers who were holding onto the prisoner, shared a look and ran away. Erwin, though simply curled up into a fetal position and cried.

"Ice Demon Witch is here. Ice Demon Witch is here," he kept muttering.

The mad leader was about to censure the broken man, but a communication crystal burst to life. The broken static indicated that something terrible had happened.

"…ailing. The wa…"

"What?" Lady Lightbringer demanded in a huff.

"The wards are failing. The demon witch is destroying the wards."

Karen saw the confusion run its course on Lady Lightbringer's face, before she yelled. "WHAT? STOP HER!"

But the line cut out, the crystal dead in her shaking hands. A cold dread crept up the spines of the three schemers within the room. Karen put her hand to her mouth. She didn't know everything about this new world. But she knew what those wards were. They were the defense Lady Lightbringer had been boasting about. And if Jenny was wrecking them…

"You," Lady Lightbringer said with spit flying out her mouth. "You said you can control your daughter. Fix this. Or I will fix you."

Karen's self-preservation kicked in as she got up and ran out of the room. She grabbed a random cloth to keep out the cold and left the palace. But the blistering wind forced her to squint. What little she could see gave a grim picture.

The city was in utter chaos. The low leveled peasants had sheltered in their houses—an instruction they had been given on more than one occasion. Let the elites and soldiers deal with threats. Karen too was inclined to follow the ingrained command, but she couldn't afford to. If she let Jenny carry on her rampage, then there would be no place for her to hide.

As Karen walked through the piled-up snow, she remembered why she hated it so much. It was cold, messy, uncomfortable. But most importantly, she couldn't control her surroundings. It made the ground slippery at some parts and utterly unmanageable at others. She hated the rain too, but snow was the epitome of chaos. Something this new reality seemed hell-bent on enforcing.

She hated it all—the fall of her perfect societal circle; the loss of her prestige in a world that cared nothing about her awards and accomplishments. Everything in this new reality was designed to get on her nerves. No one respected her. No one attended to her whims and fancies. No one gave her the things she deserved.

The wall loomed overhead as she pushed through the discomfort. Whatever she had done, it was to survive in this new reality. Why couldn't people see that? Experts like her were something the world needed. As she climbed the stairs towards the fortifications, she saw the desperate soldiers trying to fix the broken defenses. The trebuchets were frozen in solid blocks of ice; the runes were destroyed by the creeping permafrost. The panicked screams came from everywhere.

Karen walked towards the area where the screams were loudest. And as she approached, she saw Jenny again. At least the demon who now possessed her sweet angel's body. The monstrous woman was standing at the wall's edge like she owned it. The soldiers had spears and swords aimed at her back, but none dared to approach her.

But she had to do it. She had to bargain with the demon to let her child go. For that was the only way to safeguard her life. She couldn't go back to living the life of ordinary peasants who lived off System rations. At least with Lady Lightbringer, she had some degree of comfort. She may be cruel in her own way, but she did see Karen's worth.

"Please," Karen tried to speak over the howling wind. "Let my child go. Jen, my baby. Please come back to me. We can still fix this. Your mother needs you."

Jenny showed no reaction to her words. She was about to try again, when Jenny finally acknowledged her.

"Hello, mother," Jenny spoke with a soft smile. An expression that Karen hadn't seen in a long time. A hope bloomed in her chest, only to be replaced with horror as a shadow stirred at her feet.

A woman with short jet-black hair coalesced into existence. Her black armor, and stern expression only broke to give a proud smile towards Jenny. But it was the animalistic features, and vicious canines that scared the soldiers enough to drop their weapons and flee.

"Well done, my daughter," the newcomer said before assessing the surroundings. "A little off script but the results are the same, nonetheless. The Alpha is on his way too. He is cutting the incoming horde down to size, but you should have plenty of prey to feast on."

The white wolves from before also appeared, obediently sitting in front of the black-haired woman—a Lycanthrope according to her Identify skill. The domineering lady simply petted the wolves one by one, saving Jenny for last. The pure joy that Karen saw on Jenny's face when she was patted on her head broke something inside.

"YOU!" she yelled. "You have corrupted my daughter, my sweet angel. You turned her into this…this…monstrosity."

And yet, no one reacted to her outburst. It was as if she was a powerless ghost wandering the snowfield.

"You seem to have things handled," the mysterious woman said before dissolving into the shadows once again.

"That woman is not your mother," Karen screamed. "I am. I gave birth to you. I raised you to perfection. You answer to me, not her."

Once again, her presence was ignored. In a wild rage, she grabbed a discarded spear and charged towards one of the wolves. The creature didn't even flinch as the weapon hit. But instead of inflicting a wound, it was the spear that started to freeze over. Karen dropped it in a hurry, only for it to shatter like glass.

Firm footsteps pounded behind them as a new group of soldiers marched up the stairs. But unlike the ones from the city, these were covered in gore and had an air about them. Something that made Karen cower back in fear.

"We have set up a perimeter, Jenny-nim," a spear wielding woman reported. She glanced at Karen in confusion but said nothing else about her presence.

"Good," Jenny's tone shifted into that of a commander. "Send a group to go knock on doors. Anyone who is interested in harvesting some levels is free to come up to the walls. They are not trained enough to be put on the frontlines, but any stray projectile from here will earn them some much needed XP. They are severely under-leveled."

"As you command," the Asian-looking woman said with a crisp salute before walking away.

Jenny again turned towards the horizon, folding her hands as she waited. Karen looked around her, completely lost at the scene.

"I am not possessed," Jenny finally said. "This is who I am. Or rather, what I should have been. The sweet little angel you molded didn't survive in this new reality. She was broken, abused, and preyed on. Literally. That naïve girl was trained to be a submissive slave by the broken man you saw in that office. That innocent girl was eaten alive over a course of three days by spiders." Jenny looked at Karen with piercing blue eyes. "Your perfect doll was torn apart because she was too weak. What you see today is someone who was raised by wolves; trained by a berserker; and a follower of an eternal shadow. A storm in her own right; I am the Ice Demon Witch. And my Path is one of Defiance."

Karen tripped and fell backward as a pressure landed on her. It was like frostbite creeping up her limbs. Those last words erased all feeling in her body, leaving only a sense of impending doom in its wake.